


New Hope for the Future

by dondena



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 1987)
Genre: Experimental Mpreg, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-12
Updated: 2019-04-26
Packaged: 2019-06-09 07:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 28
Words: 68,983
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15262395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dondena/pseuds/dondena
Summary: A scientist wants to help give the turtles a new future. AU: Takes place after season 8.





	1. Chapter 1

The ninja turtles of New York had been very good at fighting the bad guys over the years. They had put many criminals away for a long time, and others for a short amount, quickly returning to their old ways. 

Others were fascinated by the turtles and wanted to study them further. One such human was a man named Floyd Row. He was a scientist, biologist, and geneticist. He loved animals and helping endangered animal populations recover.  

Floyd had black hair, was about 5’8", and had brown eyes. 

He had seen the turtles do their heroic deeds on the streets and he wanted to do something to help them out with them, but there was the dilemma that there had been no female turtles mutated. But with his expert knowledge, he could counteract that dilemma. 

Floyd set out to learn about the turtles as much as he could. He learned of their biggest enemies, like the Shredder. With the chaos the Shredder and his henchmen caused, Floyd stayed away from them. 

He also often saw how a red-haired woman who reported on the Channel Six News defended the turtles. It was clear she was their closest friend. 

With that information in mind, Floyd went to the News building and asked for April. Luckily for him, she was in at the moment. 

Floyd was allowed up after he was cleared to talk to her. He went up to her office. 

“Okay, Mister. What can I do for you, really?” April asked. 

“I’m interested in knowing about your turtle friends, Miss O’Neil. Can you tell me about them?” Floyd said. 

“Are you a fan?” 

“A matter of speaking, yes, and would like to meet them sometime. I just would like to be more prepared. Can you tell me about them?” 

April would gladly tell people who were willing to listen to her that her friends were not the enemy of the city, but the saviors. She went on to list all the things she knew of her best friends. 

She first went to say that the turtles were all honorable beings and more human than most of the people in the city. She introduced them by name and gave their descriptions. 

Leonardo was the leader; he wore blue, used the katana blades, and was very brave and fearless. 

Donatello wore purple; he was the smart one, he used the bo staff, and he could think of many types of inventions. He could also outsmart his worst enemies and reprogram almost anything. 

Raphael wore red; he was the wise guy, he used the sais, and he could be a comedian or very rude.

Michelangelo wore orange; he was the pizza maker and party dude. He used the nunchakus. 

April went on to say a few other things too about them, even about their sensei and what she knew of their origins. She even explained about their enemies. There were many of them. 

Floyd found all the information useful. Now he just needed time to prepare his project and people.   
……………

Some time passed, and the turtles dealt with Shredder and Krang. They were now stuck in Dimension X finally for good. It had been a year since Floyd had talked to April about the turtles and he went on observing them as much as possible. It was now the month of August.

The turtles were fascinating indeed, being like no normal turtle he had worked with before. He knew they had been normal once, though. Floyd had also chosen his specific turtle to do the project on, with a little added science he would need from the others too. He also wanted to determine what species they had been before their mutation. 

Floyd had hired some martial arts experts that would be able to take on the turtles and be able to capture them. He needed DNA from all of them in order for this work to start. 

He knew that one of the turtles’ favorite places was a pizzeria called Vinnie’s, which would be a good place to get them at. 

Floyd’s men had all been informed on what they needed to do and use in order to get the turtles. There were now about 40 men watching the pizzeria. It took many days for the turtles to come in their trench coats and go into Vinnie’s to eat some dinner. 

The men knew they had to get the turtles’ attention somehow. They were armed with what they needed without having to harm them too much. 

Floyd was sure his men could handle it. He was waiting for the call. 

After the turtles were done eating, the boys in green were heading for an alley to go back to the sewers when a few men stepped out of the dark shadows. They all had weapons at the ready. 

“Good evening, Turtles, we have been expecting you,” one said. 

The turtles knew they were outnumbered but took off their coats and withdrew their weapons. 

“What do you want?” Donatello demanded. 

“We want you all.” 

“Fat chance!” Raphael retorted. 

“Turtles fight with honor!” Leonardo yelled and they all charged. 

The humans began fighting the turtles. They had been looking forward to this. They had been wanting to face the famous turtles they had heard so much about in an honorable fight. 

Some were knocked down or knocked unconscious, but they even got some hits on the turtles too. And with full stomachs, it would eventually slow the reptiles, but they didn’t try to show it. 

The fight lasted for a good while and the turtles soon began to tire. There were just too many of these guys. But then, all of a sudden, the humans backed away from them. The turtles were baffled. 

Suddenly, there was a grenade thrown at them and it began to spew gas. 

The turtles began to cough. “Smoke bomb!” Donatello gasped and coughed. 

When the gas cleared, all four turtles had gone down. 

“Hurry up! We have to get them out of here!” 

The turtles were all picked up and carried to a getaway truck. Once inside, their hands were tied behind their shells just in case they woke up. But the plan was to keep them knocked out until they got what was needed from them. 

Floyd got the call that the turtles were on their way. He breathed a sigh of relief. They weren’t hurt, although they had put up a good fight. Their weapons and Turtle coms had been left where they had been captured.


	2. Chapter 2

All four unconscious turtles were carried to the hideout. Floyd was glad to see that they had arrived safe and relatively unharmed. Three of them were laid out on tables and strapped down. 

 

Floyd had selected Donatello for his experiment. He had his men take Donatello to a back lab to be tied down. “Keep an eye on him so that he doesn’t wake up just yet,” Floyd ordered. 

“Yes, Sir,” one of his subordinates responded. 

 

Some of Floyd’s assistants came out to help Floyd with the next phase of the project. They ensured that all four turtles were unconscious, and extracted DNA samples from each of them. 

Floyd had studied and now understood the genetic code of many different types of turtles. When he saw the DNA of his newly acquired specimens, he found that the DNA was most like that of red-eared sliders, the most popular turtles in the pet trade. Even if they were descendants of very common terrapin, these four had changed so that they were very special. Indeed, this project was so worth doing. 

Floyd asked his favorite assistant to double-check his findings. Flora was a fellow turtle fan and conservationist, excited about the prospects of ensuring the future of this rare and fascinating species. Flora had blue eyes and light brown hair. She had a slim build and was about 5’5. Like the other scientists, she wore a lab coat, with simple street clothes beneath it. 

 

Flora had been looking after some common turtle eggs. She and some of the other scientists had been testing various chemical and biomedical engineering procedures on the eggs, but now was the time for the real tests to begin.

 

The team studied the DNA that had been taken from the four captured mutant turtles, and in a short while, the source of their unique characteristics would be revealed. This was going to be one fascinating experiment.  
……………

After speaking to April O’Neil, Floyd had decided that he wanted the genius to be his ‘test’ turtle. From his studies, and what Ms. O’Neil had described, Donatello had the most peaceful and gentle-natured out of the four, which would make him well-suited to carrying and caring for young. 

Various exams, ultrasounds and x-rays were conducted on the turtles to ensure that they were all healthy. Of course, given that they were all males, none of them had the right organs to be able to carry this out, but the scientists were going to do something about that. 

After many hours, and keeping the turtles unconscious for the entire time, Floyd was ready to get this experiment started. He wanted Donatello to be the biggest focus of all. He had semen collected from him, and used it to fertilize some of the eggs that Flora had been working on. He watched under a high-powered microscope as the cells began to divide. Things were off to a good start. 

Floyd was going to keep the boys for a day, but he wanted them kept unconscious. He needed time to get everything set into motion, and he didn’t want the turtles to know they had been here. 

The next morning, when everything was ready, Floyd and his co-workers injected a serum into Donatello’s right side. They used an ultrasound to ensure that the needle was positioned in the most ideal spot. That was just the first part. The next part was carried out in the evening. 

The serum that had been injected into Donatello’s side was reacting with the mutagen that had been present in his system since the fateful day that he was transformed from a regular turtle. Floyd was very pleased with the progress that he had seen over the last few hours. 

 

“The subject is progressing nicely,” Floyd said. “Check to see if the eggs are ready,” he ordered. 

“Yes, Sir,” Flora said. 

Using the microscope, she checked the progress on the ‘project.’ “They’re looking good, Sir,” Flora confirmed. 

“Good. Get them injected into the purple-masked turtle,” Floyd directed. 

Two men came forward and each one, with the help of Flora using the ultrasound, advanced long needles into Donatello’s right side. Flora ensured that they were put where they were supposed to be. 

“There, all is ready,” Floyd declared. “I don’t want the turtles to know they were here. Get them back to the spot they were captured.”

“And what of this one?” A man asked, referring to Donny. 

“I do want to keep him, but for now, I don’t want him to know about this. We’ll go after him again in a month.” 

The man nodded. “Alright.” 

The turtles were all released from their bonds and taken back to the spot where they were caught, close to Vinnie’s. Their hands had been tied for safety reasons. They were laid on the ground and their hands were untied.

Floyd was anxious to see his project take off, but he didn’t want to deal with the dilemma just yet. Keeping his prized subject in captivity would cause it undue stress, which could cause complications to its delicate condition. Furthermore, he wanted to give the experiment time to progress. In the meantime, he would be watching for Donatello on the street with his brothers. 

Floyd’s men left the scene before the turtles regained consciousness.  
…………

A little while later, Leo, Don, Raph, and Mike all awoke. Moaning, they stood up, rubbing their heads. They saw that their weapons were gone. 

“We must have been out for awhile. It’s dark out now,” Leonardo observed. 

“Oh, do I have a headache,” Donatello complained, holding his head. 

“I do too, dude,” Mike said. 

“Me three,” Raph added. 

“So do I,” Leo groaned. “Let’s get home before Splinter worries.”  

“Where are those creeps?!” Raphael snapped, jumping to attention when he remembered the sneak attack. 

Donatello scanned the surroundings. “They aren’t here. Let’s just go home.”

“Wait, where are our weapons? And our turtle coms?” Mike asked. 

They looked around and didn’t see them, but they knew they could get more at home. They lost weapons all the time in fights.

The four of them left the spot and headed back to the lair. They had had no idea how long they had been gone. 

When they got home, it felt so good to be back. They looked around for their sensei, but he wasn’t around. 

“Master Splinter?” Leo called, not getting an answer. “I wonder where he could be?” 

“He wasn’t on one of his meditation trips?” Raph asked. 

“No,” Leo replied.

 

“I’ll contact him on the turtle com,” Donatello said, and went and got a spare com. He dialed his sensei’s phone. 

Splinter was out with April, searching for his students. He had been very worried when they didn’t come home yesterday. He heard his phone beeping, and was overcome with relief when he took it out of his kimono and saw that it was Donatello.

“Donatello? Where are you?” Splinter asked in a concerned tone. 

“I’m at home, Sensei. Where are you? We just got home and saw that you were gone.” 

“April and I have been out looking for you. You haven’t answered your phones for over a day.” 

“We haven’t?” Don asked, shocked. “We were knocked out for awhile by some men, but it didn’t seem like we were out of commission for too long.” 

“Are you alright?” Splinter asked. 

“I believe so. Still a little awkward from the drugs in our system, but we’re fine,” Don said. 

“April and I will be right there,” the rat promised. He turned to the redhead. “The turtles are at home now, April.” 

“On it!” April proclaimed as she turned her red car around. 

When Donatello hung up his turtle com, he explained to the others, “Sensei and April said that we were gone for over a day. They were out looking for us, but they should be on their way home now.” 

Raphael was skeptical. “That’s impossible. We were only gone for a few hours.” 

“We won’t know for sure until they get here,” Leonardo said. 

 

Donatello went to the first aid kit and distributed medicine to his brothers to help with their headaches. He also made them all drink some water, knowing that they would have grown dehydrated if they were really missing for an entire day. 

 

Soon, April and Splinter arrived back at the lair. They were happy to see that the turtles were all fine. “Where were you guys?” April asked in concern. 

“We were in an alley,” Leo answered. “How long were we gone?” 

“You have been missing since yesterday, my son,” Splinter replied. “We found your phones and weapons in an alley near Vinnie’s.” 

“That’s where we just woke up,” Donatello stated. “Those guys must have taken us somewhere, but for what?” 

 

Donatello noticed that his right side seemed a little tender and his lower stomach did feel a little crampy. He just thought it was more from the drugs though, and the after effects of the battle with the thugs who had jumped them. It was minor and didn’t seem particularly worrisome. 

 

Everybody sat down to talk about what happened and eat some dinner. The turtles scarfed theirs down. It had been over twenty four hours since their last meal anyway. 

“What did they want with you?” April asked. 

“We don’t know. All we know is they fought us and then threw a smoke bomb at us. Obviously, it was knock out gas,” Don explained all that he could he remember. 

“I think they were just wanting to test themselves against us,” Leo theorized. “They were really good fighters.”

 

“Did you ever see them before?” Splinter asked. 

“No.” Mike replied. “They were tough dudes.” 

“Let’s hope that’s all it was, a test.” Splinter said.

 

Donatello frowned. If it had only been a test of strength, then why were they taken away from the alley, and then put right back a day later? Why was there so much missing time? Where had they been, and why? Donatello was sure that there was more to the story, but he didn’t feel like thinking it through while contending with his whopping headache. At least they are all safe and sound at home. 

After dinner, April went home, glad that her friends were okay. The mutant family sat down to watch some TV together. They watched Vernon on the nightly news, then there were some movies. Splinter decided to meditate and go to bed. 

First thing in the morning was when the turtles finally went to bed. After hearing they had been asleep for more than a day, they had wanted to spend some time awake, letting the drugs get out of their system.

It felt good to settle down in their own beds. They would have training that night.  
…………

Floyd couldn’t wait until he recaptured Donatello again to see if his experiment was successful. For now, he would let the turtle be with his family. He would let him be with them for most of the time, anyway, but he would be monitoring him, from the streets. 

He wasn’t doing this to be evil. On the contrary, it was so the turtles could have a chance at having a future.


	3. Chapter 3

Despite the mysterious capture, things quickly went back to normal and remained that way for a couple of weeks. Donatello had no clue what was happening inside his body. He trained with his brothers when requested, ate pizza, watched TV and movies, worked on his inventions, and he helped fight bad guys on the streets alongside his brothers.

April’s boss still had it in for the turtles, ever since the old Channel 6 building was destroyed. Not only that, but the new building’s prized technology continued to be damaged during the turtles’ periodic skirmishes.

Now that Shredder and Krang were gone, things had lightened up a bit, but this was the Big Apple. There was always some kind of crime, even if it was only trouble caused by simple street thugs. It was easy for the turtles to fight them.

A month had passed since the abduction. It was now September, and Donatello had started feeling sick to his stomach. At first, he found himself running to the bathroom as soon as he woke up in the morning. But it wasn’t long before it began to happen almost any time of day. 

He was throwing up anything he ate, and needless-to-say, he was starting to worry. Donatello wondered why he was getting sick suddenly. At first, he had suspected a simple case of food poisoning, but it had been occurring for five days now.

“Oh, what is wrong with me?” he moaned in a weak voice, sitting back by the wall after having lost his breakfast yet again. “What did I get into that brought on this virus?” He now knew that his ailment was lasting too long to be food poisoning. At this point, his best guess was that it was the stomach flu. 

Splinter hadn’t made Donatello train for the last few days. When he had noticed how bad Donatello was that morning, he told his ill student to take another day off to see if he would get better with some extra rest and a few special herbs. Unfortunately, the herbs didn’t help at all. Donatello lost those down the toilet too. The smart turtle just wasn’t feeling so good.

“You must have something very bad that you can’t even keep the herbs down,” Splinter observed.

“I wish I knew what it was, Sensei,” Donatello said, holding his aching stomach.

“Leonardo, please make some peppermint tea for Donatello,” Splinter instructed.

“Sure,” Leo replied. 

When Leo went to go make the tea, Donny took a seat on the couch. “You might not want to get too close,” Don warned when he saw Michelangelo approaching. “Whatever I have, believe me, you do not want to catch it.”

Mike was not deterred. He sat down next to his brother and felt Don’s forehead. “Even though you’re looking a lot more green than usual, you don’t seem to have a fever,” Mike noted.

“I know, but I just don’t feel good right now, Michelangelo,” a watery-eyed Donatello explained. 

Leo came back into the living room with the tea. Don took it from him gently. He hoped this would settle his stomach.

The others watched him sip the tea. Donatello seemed to be able to keep it down alright, which was a relief. After that, he went to go lay down in his bed for a nap. He was exhausted from having been sick for the last few days and was running out of energy.

When he got up again, he felt a little better. He went into his lab to check out his symptoms on the internet. He was beginning to doubt that it was the stomach flu, since he didn’t have a fever. Don’s main symptoms were nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite, exhaustion, and headaches.

According to Dr. Google, there were any number of ailments that he might be suffering from. At the top of the list was the one thing that scared him most: cancer! Donatello had always feared that he and his family may be susceptible to this terrible disease. After all, most cancer is caused by genetic mutations, and every single cell in his body had been mutated by the ooze that had transformed him from a common turtle into what he was today. Still, a big part of him insisted that it couldn’t be cancer. He was so young yet! He had always been so strong and healthy, and he didn’t have any abnormal lumps or any other indications of the disease in its many forms. 

If Donatello wasn’t nauseous and dizzy before, he certainly was now. He collapsed back into his computer chair, feeling like he had a belly full of molten lead. If for no reason other than to keep himself busy and distracted, Donatello decided to run some blood tests. He wanted to run every possible test before resorting to going to a doctor, and no one else in his family could help him with this.

He took some of his own blood from his arm and began to study it. He noticed something was off about it, that it had a higher dose of hormones, and more of the female variety. He knew that males had some estrogen in their systems too, but any intact male should have far higher testosterone levels. Right now, the ratio of these hormones was different than what was normal for him. 

This was scaring the genius turtle. He needed a second opinion. Despite his fears and misgivings, he knew that he needed to see a doctor about this. There were very few humans that he trusted, and fewer still with medical expertise. Then, he remembered the veterinarian at the zoo - Mike’s friend, Dr. Jane Goodfellow. She was about the only veterinarian that he knew of that wasn’t insane and wanting to dissect him or his family. She treated them like real people.

The next morning, when he felt well enough to be out of bed, Donatello snuck out of the lair and went to April’s apartment. Luckily, she was home.

“Donatello, this is a pleasant surprise,” she greeted. “What’s going on?”

“I haven’t been feeling too well, April,” Don sighed. “Now I’ve found something alarming in my blood and I need a second opinion on it. Could you help me to call up Dr. Jane Goodfellow at the zoo? She has more equipment than I do, and should be able to do a more thorough exam on me.”

April put her arm around the distressed turtle. “Of course I can help. But what’s wrong?”

Donatello looked at the floor and took a moment to gather himself before speaking. “I’ve been sick to my stomach for the past week, and the tests that I ran on myself showed that I have higher doses of female hormones in my blood. Combined with my other symptoms… well… there are some indications that it might be cancer.”

April’s eyes widened in concern. It couldn’t be! Life was sometimes rough for the turtles, but the thought of her sweet friend having to battle such a horrible disease at this young age was too much to bear. “Yes, let’s call her,” a nervous April decided. 

April saw that her own anxiety was only making her friend that much worse. “I mean, I’m sure it’s not cancer, but Dr. Goodfellow will be able to tell for sure. Let’s not take any chances. Your family and I couldn’t bear to lose you.” April looked through her phone book and dialed the zoo’s number.

Donatello was extremely worried about his condition. He hoped it wasn’t cancer. He was too young for this. Then he got the feeling of having to empty his stomach once again.

April saw the turtle run for the bathroom and then heard the vomiting from behind the door. Just as April was about to hang up and go check on Don, the veterinarian picked up the phone. “Hello, Dr. Goodfellow speaking.” 

“Hello, Dr. Goodfellow, this is April O’Neil. My friend, Donatello, is very sick. Do you have time to see him? He’s very worried about his illness. It’s been going on for too long,” April explained.

“When did he start to feel sick?” Dr. Goodfellow asked.

“He said that it’s been going on for almost a week, and he’s worried about his hormone levels too. He thinks it might be cancer,” April added in a low voice. 

“Oh my. Well, hopefully I can ease his mind. Bring him in around three,” Jane offered.

“Alright,” April agreed. “Donatello and I will see you then.”

When Donny came out of the bathroom, April told him that an appointment had been made at three that afternoon. It was eleven now.

Donatello was relieved to hear that the doctor was willing to see him, and that he wouldn’t have to wait too long. He offered April a weak smile. “Sounds good, but right now, I‘m not feeling very well.”

“You should rest until then,” April suggested. 

Donatello was happy that April did not expect him to return to the sewer. He wasn’t feeling up to taking another walk at the moment. “Please don’t tell the guys about me going to the doctor until I know what’s wrong," Don requested of her. “I don’t want them to worry.”

“Alright,” April said hesitantly. If it was something serious, she knew the others would need to know, but she was willing to follow Donatello’s wishes for the time being. 

Donny was getting dizzy and April led him to her couch, where he gratefully laid down, knowing that it couldn’t hurt to rest. April called his family to tell them he was with her so they wouldn’t worry.

“What’s he doing over there?” Leo asked. “He’s been sick lately. I’m surprised he was feeling up to leaving the lair.”

“He came over to talk to me about something,” April explained. “I think he was hoping to feel better if he got some fresh air," she added. Even though it was a white lie, she hoped it would buy Donny a little bit of time to find answers.

“Okay. As long as we know he’s safe,” Leo said. 

“He’s safe and resting right now. I’ll see how he feels in a few hours, then I’ll send him home,” April offered. 

“Alright. Take care,” Leo said. “And call us if there’s any changes.”

“I will,” April promised before hanging up.

April went to go look up some articles on the internet to see if she could use them to start her new career as a freelance reporter. She was so done with working for Burne Thompson. This way, she could work her own hours and be her own boss. Over the last couple of months, after the former Channel Six building had been destroyed, she had saved enough money to finally buy herself a new car.

Donatello had managed to fall asleep and for once it was nice and deep. Given how much his nausea had been letting few nutrients remain in his body, he needed his rest.  
………….

A few hours later, at 2:15, April woke up Donny for his appointment at the zoo clinic. She gently nudged the slumbering turtle. “Donatello, it’s time to go to your appointment. Do you feel alright?” April asked.

Don sat up and rubbed his head. For a moment he was confused about where he was, but then his stomach turned and all he cared about was getting to the bathroom in time. It took an extra ten minutes of waiting before they could leave.

“I still don’t feel good, April, but I’ll manage.” Don said when he came out of the bathroom. “I just want to know what’s going on with me.”

April put her hand on Donatello’s shell. “So would I,” she sympathized.

They went downstairs and got in her car. April had grabbed a trash can that Donny could use should he need to throw up again on the way to the doctor. She may have felt bad for her friend, but she still didn’t want a mess in her brand new car.

The streets were busy, as people were preparing to go home for the day. April had to weave in and out of traffic in order to get Donatello to the doctor on time. Eventually, they made it. Much to his surprise, Don had managed to not throw up at all on the way there. 

April and Donny walked into the smaller of the zoo’s two clinics. There was also a larger one with a laboratory and surgical space. Dr. Goodfellow came out to greet them. “Hello, Donatello and Ms. O’Neil. How are you doing?”

“I’m doing good,” April replied.

“Wish I could say the same, Dr. Goodfellow,” Donny added.

“Tell me about your symptoms, Donatello,” Dr. Goodfellow instructed. “And you can call me Jane.”

“I’ve been having stomach problems mostly. I can hardly keep anything down. I’ve felt dizzy, moody. I’m tired all the time. I’m sick nearly all the time. I go to the bathroom a lot more. I have near-constant nausea. I took some blood and tried to analyze it, but I just don’t have the kind of equipment that you do, and I need a second opinion. I was concerned with what I had found though. I just want to know for sure,” he explained worriedly.

“Yes, those are concerning signs. Let’s get you into a room,” Jane said. Don and April followed her. Don was so nervous about what he was going to find out. He hoped it wasn’t cancer. The thought was terrifying. 

They got into a room where Donatello knew to get up onto the table. April sat down in the chair next to the desk. She wanted to be sure to bear witness to whatever happened in case her friend needed help telling his family what was wrong.

Jane put on a stethoscope and listened to Don’s heart and lungs. She looked at his eyes and examined his body as much as she could. Then she took a tube and needle. “I need to take some blood to see what I can find out, Donatello. Could you remove an armband?” Jane asked of him.

Donatello chose his right arm. It was his dominant arm and he suspected it would be easier to find a good vein beneath his thick skin. He took the pad off of his elbow area. Jane tied a rubber band around his bicep and found the vein. Then she swabbed it with alcohol and expertly guided the needle into the vein.

Don winced a little, but didn’t move. He had to look away when she poked him. Funny that he didn’t think twice about taking blood samples on his own, but when someone else was in command he found himself getting anxious. 

Jane took two vials of his blood. Then, she released the needle and put a cotton ball on top of it, along with a pressure bandage. “I can’t tell right off the top of my head what could be wrong, but I’ll get to work analyzing your blood samples right away. I’ll call you the minute I know anything and if something is wrong, I’ll ask you to come back,” Jane said.

“Thank you, Jane,” Don replied. “I know there’s no textbook on mutant turtles, so I’m very grateful that you’re willing to stick your neck out for me.”

Jane smiled at her new patient. “You’re welcome.”

“When do you think you’ll have the results?” April asked.

Jane wanted to check Don’s blood for organ function indicators, hormones, and any abnormalities. As complicated as these tests sounded, they were fairly simple to run. “If all goes well, I should have them by tomorrow morning,” Jane answered.

April and Don left the clinic and went back to April’s apartment. They were both scared now, and anxious to know what was going on.

“Do you feel well enough to be able to go home, Donatello?” April asked.

“I haven’t thrown up in a while, so yeah, I think I can make it home. Call me the second you hear from Jane,” Don requested.

“I will. I promise.” April gave her sick friend a big hug before letting him leave. 

Donatello took the stairs to get outside and headed to the nearest sewer grate. When he got home, he made some peppermint tea to help his stomach stayed settled. He sat on his bed to sip the tea, and from there he could hear the sounds of his brothers and sensei in the training room. He didn’t feel like training right now. He was just too nervous.

He simply didn’t know what to do if it was cancer. There might be a way to beat it, but more likely it meant having to say goodbye to everything and everyone he loved.

Donatello tried to act normal the rest of the night. He didn’t want the others to suspect that anything major was wrong until he knew for sure. He was so nervous he didn’t feel like eating dinner either. Splinter still insisted on making him some chicken soup. He managed to keep it down, but later in the night, there was more vomiting into the toilet.

He sat back and held his stomach when he was done throwing up. “What is wrong with me?” he moaned. 

Aside from being sick, the anticipated results kept him awake most of the night too.  
…………..

It wasn’t until after 11 the next morning that he finally got the call from April that his results were in.

“You might want to come over and hear the results for yourself. The doctor wouldn’t tell me. She said that she wanted to speak to you in person.”

“Did it sound like anything bad?” Don asked her.

“She seemed concerned, but like I said, she wouldn’t tell me anything,” April answered.

“I’ll be right over,” he replied. 

Donny hadn’t had a fun morning. He had thrown up again after breakfast, but he was more than ready to know what was causing this. He went to tell Leo that he was going back to April’s, then left in a hurry. He didn’t want the others to follow him.

“Why do you suppose he’s going back to April’s again?” Mike wondered.

Leo shook his head, sadly. “I don’t know. Maybe she has an answer for him. I wish we did.”

“I know I’m tired of hearing him being sick every night and day,” Raph added.

“We all are. We just want him to get well again.” Splinter said.  
…………

Donny soon arrived at April’s, went inside and climbed the stairs. He felt like the elevator could make him sick to his stomach. Then again, everything did these days. 

April let Donatello in, and together, they called Jane at the clinic.

“Hi, Dr. Goodfellow, I heard my results are back?” Don greeted.

“Yes, they are.”

“Good or bad?” Don asked.

“It could be called both really. All your organs are functioning normally. But when I checked your hormone levels, the tests showed higher than expected levels of female hormones. I found the hormone hCG in your blood as well, which usually shouldn’t be present at these levels in a male,” Jane explained.

“What about cancer?” Don blurted, unable to hold himself back. 

“I didn’t see any abnormal cells that indicate you have cancer. Everything else looks fine except your hormone balance. You will need to come back into the office for another exam. How about tomorrow at ten?” Jane recommended.

“Okay,” Don agreed. 

Don put down the phone. He had a stunned look on his face. So it likely wasn’t cancer, but it was still worrisome.

“What is it, Donatello? Is it bad?” April asked. 

He looked at her. “She said that I had an elevated level of hCG in my blood, as well as elevated levels of other female hormones. She wants me to come back at ten tomorrow.”

“Alright. I’ll be happy to take you,” April offered.

Donatello was feeling ready to faint. He couldn’t trust his legs anymore. Heck, he apparently couldn’t trust any part of his traitorous body at all anymore. “Thanks,” he groaned. “I’ll need the ride.”


	4. Chapter 4

  
It was difficult for Donatello to get through the rest of the day without thinking about his upcoming appointment, but he tried his best to keep busy and ignore his worries. In the morning, he still didn’t feel well, but he made it back to April’s again and they returned to the clinic.

This time, Don asked April to stay  behind in the waiting area. He didn’t want her to see the exam, in case it got too intimate and embarrassing.

First, Jane wanted some urine from him. After receiving the specimen cup, Jane placed a measured amount of the sample into a beaker and added some other chemicals that made the contents turn blue. This further confirmed Jane’s suspicions about the nature of Donatello’s “ailment.”

“Now that we have the urinalysis results, I’d like to do an ultrasound on you,” Jane requested.

Donatello was so nervous. He was silently staring at the beaker in Jane’s hand, wondering what it could mean.

“Donatello?” Jane called.

 Don shook his head to snap himself out of his stupor. “Huh?”

“This way. An ultrasound,” Jane repeated as she pointed to a room down the hall.

“Oh, yeah.” Don slid off the table and followed the doctor to the sonogram room. He got up on the bed and took off his belt before laying back.

Jane put some gel on his lower plastron. Then she applied the wand. Donatello couldn’t bear to look. He stared up at the ceiling, waiting for an answer to all this.

Jane moved the wand around to check everywhere, her face thoughtful, and her movements slow and deliberate. She was not used to mutant turtle anatomy, but she eventually came upon an organ that she had never seen before like this. The more she explored it, the more pronounced to her it was. Inside, she saw a small white circle. “There it is!” she exclaimed.

Don was startled. “What?” he asked, nervously. He was so scared.

“There’s the baby,” Jane explained. She turned the screen toward him.

The turtle couldn’t believe what he had heard and what he was seeing. He was certain there was some sort of mistake, so he simply waited for the doctor to correct herself.

Jane continued to move the wand, and soon, she discovered something else. She smiled when she saw it. “This is interesting,” she said.

“What?” Donatello asked, expecting her to change her previous, obviously improper diagnosis.

 “I think there is another one as well,” Jane responded.

 “Another one?” Donatello shuddered in fear. The thought of one baby was unbelievable and scary enough for him.

Don looked up at his doctor, helplessly. Jane turned the screen toward him and manipulated the wand to reveal two little bright spots inside this mysterious and previously unknown organ.

He couldn’t believe any of this. “No disrespect, Doctor, but there has to be some mistake. I know my anatomy must look odd, due to my mutation, but I’m a male. I can’t be pregnant!” Don exclaimed.

 “It’s true that your biology is unusual, and while it’s undeniable that you’re a male, I can definitely confirm that you are pregnant as well. Those are your babies, right there,” Jane said as she pointed to the dots.

 “There has to be some other explanation. Aside from the fact that I’m male, I don’t have any… I mean I’ve never had any... um… partners. It takes two to make a baby. Could these just be… unfertilized eggs or something? Could I have some form of hermaphroditism?” Don rambled.

“Donatello, you are pregnant. I’ve confirmed this diagnosis by urine analysis, blood analysis, and ultrasound. I know how hard this is to believe, but I’m an exotic animal vet, and I’ve seen many different types of pregnancies. I know an unfertilized egg from an embryo. These are embryos, and they are developing in what appears to be a uterus. Granted, it’s unlike any uterus I’ve ever seen, but it’s a uterus nonetheless.”

 Donatello’s intelligence was beginning to override his sense of denial. He knew that his symptoms  were consistent with morning sickness. He’d seen his hormonal shifts in his own blood tests, and he could see what Jane was pointing to on the ultrasound - his babies. But how? It was too much to process right now.  
   
Jane turned off the machine and printed a picture. Don was allowed to sit up and clean the gel off his plastron.

“How long do you think I’ll be… pregnant?” Don asked, still afraid to say the word.

“The embryos looked like they were about four or five weeks along. Given that you are part human, you might carry them between six to nine months. I don’t know,” Jane told the turtle. “I’m sorry that I don’t have more answers for you - about any of this.”

 This was scaring poor Donatello out of his wits. “It’s okay,” he assured his doctor. “I should know my own body better than anyone, but I can't explain any of this either.” Donatello thought for a moment, and an urgent question suddenly came to mind. “Can you tell if they will be viable?” he asked.

 “I don’t know that either, but it’s a good sign that they have made it this far,” Jane answered.

“Do you know if they will be eggs or live births?” Donatello wondered.

“They are going to be live births, Donatello. We’ll see what they look like in time,” Jane replied.

Donatello hesitated before speaking again. “What if I decide not to go through with this?”

“You don’t have to decide anything right now. Just think things over for a while,” Jane suggested, “and try to eat foods other than pizza. You will need to limit yourself on fighting too. Stress is not good for you or the babies.”

“Thanks, Jane,” Don said. “As for foods, what can I eat? I can barely keep anything down at the moment.”

“Some foods that might be easier on your stomach would be toast, fruits, cheerios, peppermint tea, and crackers. I’ll give you a list before you go,” Jane offered. “I want to see you every month to check the progress. But you could also get rid of the pregnancy if you choose to. Just let me know if you do,” she finished.

 Don nodded, thanking the doctor before leaving. He went back to where April was waiting for him. “So, what’s going on?” April asked. “Are you okay?”

 “I guess so, but I’m kind of in shock,” Don said with a sad look. “Somehow, April, the exam showed that I’m…”

“What?” April pleaded.

 “Pregnant,” Don finished.

April was now shocked too. How could a male turtle be pregnant?

Jane came back out to them and gave Donatello a list of possible foods that would be good for him. “You should also start taking prenatal vitamins ,” Jane told him.

 “I can make sure he gets these things,” April offered.

“Good. He’s going to need all the support he can get, Ms. O’Neil. Pregnancy is a scary thing, particularly when it is so unexpected and complicated. But, it could be a blessing too, if you let it be,” Jane said.

Donatello knew that babies were blessings, but there had to be a reason why this was happening to him. Right now, he really wanted to know HOW it had happened.

“Thanks for everything, Jane,” Don said.

“Take care and remember what I said,” Jane replied, earning  a nod from Donatello.

Don and April left the clinic, now knowing what was going on. Don had the sonogram hidden away in his belt. “Please, don’t tell my family, April. I need time to think this over and figure out how to tell them myself,” Donatello requested softly.

 “I won’t. And as scary as this is, I’ll be there for you,” April promised. “But, you need to explain things soon. I’m sure everyone is concerned about you.”

“I know they think something is very wrong with me, and I don’t want them to worry too much. I’ll come up with something to ease their minds, but right now I need to get home and think. Can you get me the food on the list?” Don asked.

April smiled. “Sure. Anything that can help you feel better and get through this pregnancy.”

 April drove Don to a sewer grate near to his home, and watched her friend disappear into his underground world.

 When Don got home, he saw that his brothers were watching TV. He decided to go to his lab and do some research, but before he reached his destination, he heard someone call his name.

“Donatello? May I speak to you?” Splinter asked.

Don glanced over his shoulder. “Sure, Sensei.”

His brothers turned around in surprise. They hadn’t seen Donatello come in. Don gave them a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, as he went back to see his sensei.

 “What do you wish to talk to me about?” Don asked when he reached Splinter’s room.

 “How are you feeling, my student? You have been going to see April for the past few days.” Splinter said.

“Yes. I just needed to get out of the lair for some air,” Donatello fibbed. “And April needed some help fixing her TV and toilet.” The turtle was shaking with nervous tension. He hated lying, even if it was harmless and well-intentioned.

 Splinter was looking intently at him, but he could also smell his son’s scent. “Are you sure you’re alright? Your behavior is off.”

“Well, I have been sick these past few days. I’m still under the weather, Master.”

“You should go to bed if you feel that bad,” Splinter suggested.

 “I will,” Donatello agreed. “And, April is going to be bringing me some foods that might help me feel better.”

Splinter nodded. He was still mystified that none of his herbs had helped his pupil get better when they had in the past every time they were needed. “When your health improves, you will have some training to catch up on,” he reminded. “You can’t let that slip.”

“I know, Master. I’m just not well enough for it right now. Is there anything else?” Don asked.

Splinter frowned. “I just want to see you back on the team with your brother turtles.”

“I know. And I will be, in time,” Donatello replied. “I need to do some quick research before I go to bed.”

“If you are sick, your health comes first. Research can wait until later,” Splinter warned.

Donatello knew that the wise rat had a point. He nodded, then left his sensei’s room, but before the weary genius could rest, he had to call April.

April heard her turtle com and picked up. “What’s up, Donatello?” she greeted.

 “Hi, April. I was just hoping you could keep the supplies at your apartment until I can come get them? I want to go through them personally.”

“Sure,” April agreed.

 Despite the feeling that his world had been turned upside-down, Don was eminently grateful to have a friend that he could count on. “Thanks for doing this for me, April.”

“No problem. That’s what friends are for,” she replied happily. Her voice then took on a more serious tone. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Sensei wants me to rest for the time-being. I should be by later today or tomorrow to get the food,” Don explained.

“Okay. If I’m not home, you know how to get in.”

 Donatello attempted and failed to stifle a yawn. “Thanks.”

April chuckled. “I’m about ready to finish off the shopping now. You get some rest.”

“I will. Talk to you later,” Don said before hanging up.

Donatello knew he would have to stock the refrigerator or cabinets with these new foods. He did like some fruits and vegetables, but he just hoped his new sense of taste would let him eat them and keep them down. He was willing to try anything to soothe his stomach.

 He went back to his room and laid down in his bed. He put a hand on his plastron. “What am I going to do about this pregnancy?” he asked himself quietly, feeling utterly lost and miserable.

Donatello could only stare up at his ceiling at the moment. He knew how rough his family’s lives were. Even though Shredder and his cronies were now out of the way, there always seemed to be new enemies to deal with. He was so busy all the time. Would he even know how to handle a baby’s needs? Of course, he remembered back when he and the guys had babysat a Neutrino baby, but she didn’t stay permanently. At least he could safely assume that these babies wouldn’t have telekinetic powers like Treble had.

Some more space would have to be added to the lair to make room for the babies. They would need things like food, diapers, cribs, blankets, and toys. They were sure to have needs similar to human children because, presumably, they would be half human, like their father.  
How would his family feel about all of this? Don wasn’t even sure how he felt about it. All he knew was that he was scared. He tried to shut the fear out, and found his mind wandering to the question of “how?” How was this possible? How had this happened?

 Donatello knew that pregnancy was utterly common and natural, but with the exception of the seahorse family, only females carried the babies. Had the mutagen altered him somehow? Could he have had some mix of male and female traits all along and never noticed? Even if this was the case, how could conception have possibly occurred? If this happened to him, could it happen to his brothers as well?

 Donatello thought back to the sonogram and pulled the picture out of his belt. The embryos were still very small, and didn’t look like much. Jane had explained that they each had their own amniotic sac and space. So, it was clear he wasn’t having identical twins.

It was amazing how small life was at first. And to think, in the next nine or so months, these little specks would become full-term baby mutant turtles. He really wanted to get on his computer and do some research. He wanted to go to the library as well.

Despite his bodily exhaustion, Donatello’s brain was too awake to sleep. He got up and was going to go to the lab, but then, his twins made themselves known. He found himself making the now-familiar run to the bathroom.

Splinter and the other turtles saw him go running and then heard the ensuing vomiting. They wished they knew how to help him.   
…………

Donatello spent several hours on a website that would let him monitor a baby’s growth and development. Though it was intended for humans, it was the best that he could do. There was no website for mutant turtle pregnancy, after all.  
   
When he was finished, Don shut down his computer. He decided to stop at the library before heading over to April’s to pick up his food. He got one of his disguises, grabbed a human mask, and was just about to leave. He was startled when Raphael suddenly caught his wrist.

 “Where are you going, Donatello?” Raphael demanded.

 “To the library. I need a few books for my latest project,” Don answered.

Raphael was concerned that Donatello kept leaving the lair, despite being so ill. “Okay, but are you sure that you feel well enough to go?” Raphael asked.

 “I’m fine. My stomach’s settled down,” Don assured his brother.

Raph was still skeptical. “Ooo-kay.”

“I go there all the time on my own. I have my bo and my turtle com.” When he earned a hesitant nod from Raph, Don walked out. At least Raph knew where he was going.

Donny made it to the library and got a couple of books on pregnancy. He was going to make sure his brothers didn’t see these, at least not yet. He checked them out with the account that he had there under a fake name and was going to head home to drop them off before hitting April’s to grab his food. He took the mask off his face, and then shortly after that, in an alley, he found himself surrounded.

This wasn’t good. He put the books down and took out his bo. He was backed against a wall.

“Got you now, Turtle!” a man taunted.

The normally calm and gentle turtle tried to sound aggressive. “Oh yeah? Bring it on then! I can beat you with one hand behind my shell!”

 It was Floyd’s army of men. Some of them immediately attacked, while others stayed back to make sure that Don wasn’t going to escape so easily.

Donatello hit the first two attackers in the stomach with his bo. He kicked the next away, and then managed to jump over two more. He used some trash in the alley to keep the next wave at bay. Through it all, he made sure that he protected his stomach.

Just when Donatello thought he might have a moment to catch his breath, a car pulled up. “Enough!” a voice yelled out.

The men stopped pursuing the turtle, allowing Donny to relax for a moment. He turned to see who had intervened, assuming that the voice’s owner must be in charge of the attackers, somehow.

A man in a brown shirt, jeans, and black shoes, with black hair was coming forward. It was clear that this newcomer was in charge, from the way that the others stepped aside to clear a path.

“Ah, I see we have ourselves a turtle in a disguise. Which one are you?” Floyd asked.

“That’s none of your business!” Don snapped at him. “What do you want?”

Floyd flashed a grin. “Ah, Yes, I believe that I know you. Donatello, is it? The smart one?”

Don’s eyes widened. “How do you know me?”

“I know a lot about you, more than you could imagine. My name is Floyd Row. I just wanted to meet you in person and see how you are doing,” Floyd said.

Donatello was baffled. There didn’t seem to be any immediate threat, so he answered. “If that’s the case, why did you send these goons after me?”

“To make sure you wouldn’t get away until I talked to you. We have something important to discuss.”

“What's that?” Don asked suspiciously. He still held a defensive stance.

Floyd glanced at the title of one of the books that was close by. The turtle must have known something. Then he turned back to Donatello. “I noticed your book over there. Something must be wrong, am I right?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Don growled. He wasn’t giving away his secret to a stranger.

“Oh, come now, Donatello. I know all about it. It’s been long enough. You have symptoms, don’t you?” Floyd purred.

“That is none of your business!” Donatello snapped.  
   
“Oh, but it is my business, Turtle. You were my special project - a project that will give you and your family a future. You were the best one to conduct this experiment on,” Floyd explained.

“Wait. You’re not saying-?” Don’s demeanor softened, but remained tense. “What are you going to do with me?”

“Nothing. I know your little secret, Donatello, and I wouldn’t want to do anything to upset you during this delicate time.”

Still holding his bo in one hand, Donatello put his other hand on his stomach.

That’s what Floyd wanted to see. “You do know about the pregnancy, don’t you?” Floyd stated.

“This is my body, and my choice! I won’t let you do anything to me without a fight!” Don warned him. He held his bo at the ready.

“I don’t plan to harm you at all - quite the opposite, really. I only want to ensure the success of my experiments,” Floyd claimed.

 “You did this to me without my consent!” Donatello roared. “And they are not experiments! They are babies!” Even Donatello was surprised by the depth of his conviction. He hadn’t realized how protective he already felt.

 “Good to hear you say that,” Floyd replied. “And just so you know, I’ll be keeping an eye on you. If I feel you are going to do anything to interfere with my project, I will be forced to step in and protect it,” Floyd said sternly.

That statement felt like a warning. Apparently, this man would do anything to force him to go through with the pregnancy. Donatello still hadn’t decided on what he was going to do yet, but until the babies were out of his body, they were his responsibility.

“You aren’t going to touch me!” Don growled. “And how could you be the one that did this to me when I’ve never seen you before?”

“About a month ago when you and your brothers were fighting my men, they knocked you all out and brought you to me. With some DNA manipulation, I created two embryos and implanted them into your abdomen. Now that a month has passed, I was hoping to get a peek at them.”

“No way! I’ll never let you touch me! Just leave me alone!” Don started to feel sick again, though he tried to hide it.

Floyd noticed the turtle was faltering. “Alright, but like I said, I will be watching.” He gave his men a signal and they backed off.

No fight ever went that smooth before. Don was surprised, but then, this Floyd character could have held him captive after he had captured them a month ago if he had really wanted to. Apparently, that wasn’t his aim.

Don tried to keep from gagging in front of the enemy. Now he knew who had done this to him at least, and he would be keeping an eye out for him. Don had plenty more questions, but there was already so much to take in, and he couldn’t suppress his nausea much longer.

 Floyd and his men left him alone and then Donatello hunched over and threw up in the alley. Donny was amazed at how much he kept on vomiting when he barely had any food in his stomach to begin with. He hoped this new list of foods would let him get some sort of nutrition into his body. He was certain he was losing weight. It wasn’t good for him, and it couldn't be good for the babies. After he was done throwing up, he picked up his books and went back to the lair.

 When Don got back to the lair, he intended to sneak into his lab to hide his books. He saw that his family was eating dinner without him. Michelangelo had made up one of his weird recipes again. One of the smells was fish. Splinter liked to eat fish, but it wasn’t really a favorite of the turtles. Don himself only really liked anchovies.

He hated fish, but now, the smell of it was beginning to make him feel sick again. He put his books down in his room instead of the lab and made a beeline for the bathroom. His family heard Don running again and grunting. They hadn’t known he was even home, but now they did.

“Whatever Donatello has sure is getting out of hand,” Raph observed.

“No kidding. There is something really wrong with him. This has gone on long enough,” Leo decided. “We might need to take him to a doctor. Michelangelo, you have that veterinarian friend.”

“Dr. Goodfellow,” Mike supplied.

“She could find out what’s wrong with him,” Leo said.

“I’m sure she could,” Michelangelo agreed.

When he got out of the bathroom, Donny took off his disguise. It felt good to be free of it.  
   
“What are you guys eating anyway?” Don asked as he came into the kitchen.

“Octopus and anchovy pizza,” Mike replied.

They all looked up at the genius to see his reaction.

The mention of fish was beginning to make Don gag. “Not again!” he moaned, and ran out of the room. The unpleasant sound of vomiting drifted into the dining area.

 “I wish I knew what was causing this,” Leo said.

“As do I, my pupils. Not even my herbs seem to help him,” Splinter added.

“It must be something super strong then,” Leo replied.

“Yes. I think Michelangelo’s friend should see Donatello,” Splinter decided. “He may not like to be forced into this, but we will do what we need to do to convince him to go.”

They finished up their dinner and went to wait for Don outside the bathroom. Eventually, he emerged.

Donatello was surprised to see his family waiting for him. “What? You like hearing me throw up?”

“No, Donatello. We are just concerned about you,” Splinter explained.

“We think it’s time you saw a doctor,” Leo requested.

“Dr. Goodfellow is trustworthy. She could see ya,” Mike said.

“I know that, Michelangelo,” Don replied, then let out a sigh. He still wasn’t ready to tell them the full truth yet, but he could still tell them a small part of it, and hopefully ease their minds. “Guys, I have seen her already. That was why I went to April’s.”

“Why didn’t you tell us?” Leo asked, cocking his head.

“It was my decision. I just... wanted a little privacy.”

“So what did she say then?” Raph asked.

“She said that it’s not anything serious, but she’s still waiting on a few test results. We should know more in a week,” Don pledged. “Now I need to go to April’s and get that food she got for me.”

Leo blocked his way. “You aren’t going anywhere, Donatello.”

 “The only place you are going is to bed,” Raph added.

“You really need to rest,” Splinter said.

“We’ll go get the food for ya, dude,” Mike offered.

Come to think of it, he was starting to feel a little tired. He didn’t want to tell the others of his encounter in the alley yet. He would tell them in time, because they would need to know how his condition came about. As for his bros going to get his food from April, she had said she wouldn’t tell his secret.

“Yeah, I guess I am feeling tired after all the running around,” Don said. He started going to his room. “Thanks, guys.”

“You had better go to April’s and get the food, then. He does need to eat something that he can keep down,” Splinter instructed.

When he got to his room, Don dialed April.

“Hi, Donatello. What’s going on?”

“The guys are going to come get the food, April. Please don’t tell them anything. And, hide the prenatal vitamins. They can’t know yet. If you could come down tomorrow and give them to me secretly, that would be great,” Don said.

“Alright, but you need to start taking them as soon as possible,” April reminded him.

“I know,” Don replied. “The guys asked me go see Jane, and I told them I already saw her. I said that she was still waiting on test results and it could take a week.”

“I understand why you want to wait, but they do need to know about the babies, Donatello. You can’t hide this much longer. They could force you into going to the doctor for real.”

“I know. Honestly, I hate lying to them, and the stress isn’t good for me,” Don complained.  
   
“Think about it for the week then. I can be there when you tell them to give you some support,” April suggested.

“Thanks, April. How’s Irma doing?” Don asked, obviously ending that particular conversation for the night.

“She’s busy dating a guy. She thinks she found Mr. Right this time,” April laughed. “She still comes over a couple times a week to talk to me. Do you want her to know too?”

“She is our friend too. But don’t tell her until at least the guys know,” Donatello requested.

 “Okay. Well, you really should get some rest,” April urged.

 “I’m going to try, but as tired as I am, it’s so hard to relax enough to sleep. There’s just so much to do and think about. It just seems like I want to get it all done now.”

April chuckled. “Slow down, Donatello. You have plenty of time to prepare for the babies. They aren’t coming anytime soon.”

“I know. Well, I’m going to get to bed now,” Don announced. “The guys should be there soon.”

“Good night,” April wished and hung up.

Don placed his com on his desk and left the books there for now too. He would read them later. He really was exhausted. He tucked himself into his bed and was asleep almost as he hit the pillow.  
………………

Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo drove the Turtle Van to April’s apartment and went upstairs to get Donatello’s food.

April had taken the vitamins out of the bag and hid them in case the guys decided to look in the bags. As they were gathering the food, they did indeed look in the bags and saw that the contents were very different than what they usually ate.

“What’s Donatello want with all this food? He always eats what we eat,” Raph stated in confusion.

“April, is it true you took Donatello to the doctor?” Leo asked.

“Yeah, yesterday. He’s still waiting for results,” April replied. She would give him this week to think, but then she would be there to urge him to tell his family what was going on. “Dr. Goodfellow gave him the list of foods that he needs to be eating right now. She is hopeful that they can help with the stomach bug. They are good for nutrition, and he should have an easier time keeping them down. She gave him two lists - one for the foods to eat, and one for the foods he needs to avoid. Here‘s the list of foods he can eat. Donatello has the other list.”

Mike took the list. Most of the foods were ones they didn’t normally eat, but there was no reason that they couldn’t. Leo took it next. He was up for eating healthy foods.

“Thanks, April. We do want to help him feel better,” Leo said.

“Just don’t let him get too stressed. His condition is rather fragile right now,” April advised.

Raph was confused. “His condition?”

“His illness,” April corrected.

“Yeah, he is already overstressed from not being able to sleep and he spends almost all of our sleep time in the bathroom,” Mike said.

April winced in sympathy, not just for Don, but for all of her mutant friends. “Well, just watch out for him and we should know in a week what’s going on,” she advised.

 “Thanks for looking out for him,” Leo said.

“What are friends for?” She smiled.

The guys took the sacks of food down to the turtle van and drove back to the lair. Then they took the bags of groceries to the kitchen. Inside the bags were cheerios, olives, fruits, crackers, bread, cheese, yogurt, pretzels, jolly rancher candies, peppermint tea, ginger ale, and ginger tea. There were plenty of fruits and vegetables, even a coconut!

The guys took the food out of the bags and set to work putting it away. Some went into the fridge and some could remain on the counter. Considering they lived in a sewer, they put the fruits up in the cupboard so pests wouldn’t get at them.

After they were done with that, they went to check on Donatello. They found him in his bed, fast asleep. Finally. He was getting some much-needed rest. The guys were about to leave the room when Mike saw a book on the desk. He got curious and wanted to see what his brother was preparing to invent this time. But, was he in for a surprise. It was about pregnancy, of all things.

“Hey guys! Donatello’s got a book on pregnancy,” Mike called out quietly, as to not wake Donatello.

“Why would he have that?” Raph asked.

“I don’t know. Must be for some important reason. Put it back, Michelangelo,” Leo ordered.

Mike put it back and couldn’t help but wonder why he had it. It’s not like any one of them had to worry about pregnancy. Right?

 


	5. Chapter 5

April came by the next day, as promised, and secretly gave Donatello the prenatal vitamins. He was glad to finally have them and took two of them immediately after opening the jar. He decided to keep the bottle hidden in his room for now. 

When he had discovered his food the day before, he had taken the box of saltine crackers to his room. He had read that he would need to eat some before he got out of bed in the mornings or after taking a nap. He really hoped that this could start to settle his stomach more. He was also keeping a bottle of water by his bed, since he read that it may help to drink more. 

Eating the crackers and these new foods proved to do the trick to let him finally get some food into his body and keep most of it down. But whenever his brothers began to eat pizza, or Splinter ate his sushi, it still made Donatello run to the bathroom. He couldn’t stand the smell of fish or pizza anymore. His family was getting used to eating without him. 

When there were improvements with the nausea later in the week, Splinter advised that Don could return to training. Donny was still concerned about intensive exercises. He cornered Leonardo and told him that he still wasn’t ready. 

“My stomach is still sensitive. I just can’t train right now,” Don complained. “When I get my test results back, I’ll tell you.” 

“It better be soon. This has gone on long enough, Donatello,” Leo declared.  
   
For the rest of the week, Don tried to think long and hard how he was going to tell the others about his precious secret. He was so scared and nervous. 

He also looked up information about the man who claimed to want to give him a future. From what Don could tell, Floyd Row was one smart human. Don found several papers written by Floyd, as well as newspaper articles about him. Floyd had won numerous awards and grants for his advancements in the fields of biology and genetics. 

After a week had passed, April paid the turtles a visit to see how Donatello was doing. She asked if he had told his family about the pregnancy yet. 

“No, I haven’t,” Don answered. 

“You need to tell them. They could be there for you,” April said. “You guys took such good care of Treble when she was here.” 

“Yeah, but she wasn’t ours to keep. These will be ours forever. Even though they'll mostly be mine, it's still a big commitment for everyone,” Don replied. “What if the others don’t want the same things that I do?”

“There’s no way to know what they want if you can’t work up the courage to speak with them. Since I’m staying for dinner, why don’t we tell them afterwards?” April suggested. “We can talk to them together.”

“I don’t know if I can, April. What if they say I can’t do this?” Don worried.  
   
“From the way you're talking, it sounds like you decided to continue the pregnancy?” April wondered. 

“I have thought long and hard about it. This is a scary situation for me. But, when are we ever going to have another chance at something like this? I mean, a chance to have a future generation? After hearing the babies’ heartbeats on the sonogram, I can’t kill them. They are a part of me, no matter how they came into being,” Don explained. 

April smiled. She was hoping that this would be Donatello’s decision. “I’m sure you’ll be a great father, or mother,” she giggled. 

“I know I’m both in one at the moment.” 

So, it was decided then.   
……………

After dinner, April and Donny said they had something to tell the others and the group moved into the living room. 

April stood by the nervous father-to-be’s side. “Oh, oh!” He was breathing hard.  
   
“You should sit down,” April suggested. She guided Don to a chair. 

“What’s wrong, Donatello?” Splinter asked. 

“He’s very nervous about telling you the results of the test,” April said. 

“We’re listening, Donatello. You can tell us. We want to know what is causing your illness,” Leo urged, trying to encourage his brother. 

Donatello looked at his family's faces. They were all concerned for him by now, and beginning to expect the worst.

“Go on, you need to tell them,” April prodded. 

Don swallowed hard. “I’m… uh… well… somehow…” 

Raph was getting irritated. “Just spit it out already!”

“I’m… pregnant,” Don finally announced. 

“You’re WHAT?!” The other turtles all shouted at the same time.   
   
Donatello had expected that they would react like this. He saw that they were all in shock. Splinter was the same way, although he was silent. His eyes lit up, as well as the turtles‘.  
   
“How Donatello? You’re a guy like us. That’s impossible,” Leonardo exclaimed. 

“Did you know about this, April?” Splinter asked. 

“Yes, I did. I took him to Dr. Goodfellow to find out for sure. She was the one that told him he was pregnant. She did an exam and an ultrasound.” 

“She took blood and ran some other tests as well. I’m at least five or six weeks along now,” Don elaborated. “Oh… um, and it’s twins.”

“When did this happen?” Splinter demanded. “Who did this to you?” 

“Don’t look at me, Master,” Raph joked. 

“Or me,” Mike quickly added. 

“Or me,” Leo huffed. He had really hoped that went without saying for all of them.  
   
“It was none of them, Sensei. There was something that I didn’t even tell April. The day I went to the library for books, I was ambushed on my way back here, and it was the man who turned out to be responsible for all of this. You guys remember those martial arts fighters we faced a while back?” Don asked. 

Leo nodded. “Yes. What about them?”

“Their boss showed up and talked to me - some guy named Floyd Row. He said he had his men knock us all out and he did something with our DNA. After that, he put two embryos into my stomach,” Don explained. “I looked him up and he is a big conservationist. He’s also a highly-regarded biologist and geneticist. He said he was trying to give us a future and I was the one to do it.” 

“Dr. Goodfellow, or Jane, first said I was pregnant last week. Maybe I should've told you sooner, but I needed some time to think about what I wanted and the best way to break the news to you guys. But, I know I wouldn't have been to keep this a secret much longer. Stress isn’t good for me in this condition.” 

“How long will you be pregnant?” Leo asked. 

“It's hard to say, really,” Don considered. “At say, six weeks along, I’m already in my second month. If this progresses like a human pregnancy, it could last up to nine months in total. It might not be so long for me because of my turtle side. Turtles don’t carry their eggs for nearly as long as humans carry their babies.”

“But, have you decided on what you are going to do?” Splinter asked.  
   
“You all know how we felt when Treble left. It was so quiet. This is our chance to have some kids of our own to take care of, and Shredder isn’t here to menace us anymore,” Don said. “This is the best chance at parenthood we have, maybe even the only chance we’ll ever have. I couldn’t kill them, Sensei. I have heard their heartbeats on the ultrasound. I know this is scary. But, I think I can do it, if you guys will help me along the way.” 

“True, Donatello, but you wouldn’t be able to do a lot of stuff with us until after the babies are born.” Leo countered. 

“I know, but I can do stuff while I’m still thin. I’ll be careful,” Don promised. 

“At hearing this, Donatello, you will not be training with your brother turtles anymore until after the babies are born. But, you still need to practice defense and get exercise. Just make sure to get plenty of rest as well,” Splinter instructed. 

“Pregnancy is hard for, uh, mothers.” April commented. “Donatello will be more sensitive to changes and more prone to mood swings. He needs a lot of support from you guys.” 

“Yes, this will be a time of change and there will be many challenges to get Donatello through this,” Splinter agreed. 

“This will be a big responsibility, Donatello,” Leo warned. 

“I know. But you guys have always been there to back me up when I needed you. I need you there for me now. Please,” Don pleaded.

“I’m happy to be there for ya, dude! I’m going to be an uncle!” Mike gushed, happily.  
   
“We’re all going to be uncles!” Raph realized.

“I’ll be an aunt!” April said with a smile. The guys looked at her. “If you’ll let me?” she added.  
   
Don smiled warmly. “Of course, you’ll be an aunt. The little ones will need a woman in their lives, especially if either one turns out to be a girl. I’d like Irma to be involved too, if she’s willing. She still needs to be told.”

The others knew that Irma was usually reliable, but she had also blown a secret or two. They just hoped she wouldn’t blab Don’s secret to the whole public. She just didn’t always think things through all that much. 

“It will take all of us to raise these babies.” Leo said. “It will have its ups and downs like everything else we’ve encountered. But, we will make sure this Floyd Row doesn’t try to harm you or the babies.” 

“I know. He already warned that he would be watching me. On the other hand, he said he had no intention of harming me or them.” Don said. “If anything, he seems protective of them.”

Donny was glad his family had accepted the babies without too much trouble. It was still a shock, but they would all learn to get through this together.  
…………..

The next time Irma came over to hang-out with April for a few hours, April knew it was a good a time as any to let her friend know about Donatello’s babies. 

“So, Irma, how are things going with you and the guy?” April asked.  
   
“Really great, April. He just might be the one for me. But, you know him already - Howie,” Irma replied. 

Of course April knew him. The turtles knew him too, which was nice because it meant that she wouldn’t have to introduce them to someone new. He was the dark redheaded man who wore glasses like Irma and played music. 

“Irma! It’s great that you're seeing Howie,” April gasped. “He always did respect you.”

Irma blushed. “Thanks, April.”

“I have big news as well. There’s something you need to know about Donatello,” April said.

Irma leaned forward. “What about Donatello? I haven’t seen the turtles for a while.”

“I know. But, Donatello is going to need all the support he can get. Some scientist called Floyd Row thought he would do some experiment on him and he has managed to defy the laws of nature. Believe it or not, Donatello is pregnant!” April explained. 

Irma’s jaw dropped. “Donatello, pregnant? Is he alright?” 

“He’s been suffering from pretty severe morning sickness, but all-in-all, he’s doing alright. He’s only six weeks along right now. We’re hoping the nausea disappears over time,” April said.  
   
Irma knew that she would need to pay Donatello a visit. He was one of her best friends, and probably the one turtle she was closest to.

Irma told Howie about Don’s pregnancy. Howie thought it was cool that one of the turtles was going to be a dad. They were still heroes to him.   
…………..

On Irma’s next day off from her job, she went down to the sewers to the turtles’ lair.  
   
The mutants heard sounds coming from the entrance and assumed it might have just been April dropping in. It turned out to be Irma. 

“Hi, guys. Miss me?” Irma asked. 

“Irma, it’s been a long time,” Leo greeted. 

“Yes, it has. But, I heard the exciting news and I couldn’t wait to get down here. Where’s Donatello?” she asked. 

“He’s in his lab at the moment,” Mike said. 

Irma went to the lab. “Donatello?” she called. 

Donatello was startled. He had been reading one of his pregnancy books from the library. But, he figured he would get started on making the cribs for his babies next. He certainly wasn’t expecting company, never mind Irma.

“Irma? What are you doing here?” The surprised turtle asked. He put the book down to give his friend his full attention. 

“Hi, Donatello. How are you doing? I came down to say hi,” she replied.  
   
Don waved. “Hi.” 

“I also wanted to say congratulations,” Irma added.

“On what?” Don asked. 

Irma giggled. “The baby, of course.” 

“April told you about them?” Don wondered. 

“Yes. And I still remember when you and your brothers were turned into little kids,” Irma reminisced. 

“Yeah. That was a weird day,” Don recalled. “I know raising these kids will have its challenges too.”

“Well, I just wanted to tell you I’ll be there for you if you need me to be,” Irma explained. “I know I’m in a relationship, but Howie’s understanding of you guys.” 

Don raised an eye ridge. “Howie? Oh yes! Is he still making music?” 

“Yes. He just made a new song. It’s getting recognized,” Irma bragged.  
   
“That’s good.” Don smiled. 

“Have you gone to a doctor to know for sure you’re pregnant?” Irma asked. 

“Yes. Dr. Jane Goodfellow at the zoo hospital examined me,” Don answered. “She said it's twins, in fact.”

“Oh! It’s twins!” Irma suddenly realized that both April and Don had spoken about babies, plural. Her smile widened. “It’s nice that they’ll have each other to play with. But, twins will be a handful. You three were as little kids.” 

“That’ll be a while. Normal baby turtles are born ready to live on their own. Because of our half-human side, these babies might be more dependent on us to take care of them. But, we can only wait and see,” Don said. 

“How do the others feel about them, or do they know?” 

“They know. I was going to hide it a while longer, but me being sick all the time got to them. They would have forced me to go see Dr. Goodfellow if I hadn’t chosen to see her first. And, they are excited this is happening, once they got over the shock of it. Obviously, it’s unexpected and unnatural, but there might never be another chance for this to happen,” Don explained.  
   
“When do you think they are due?” Irma asked. 

“Sometime between March and May. I don‘t know if it‘s going to be a live birth or from eggs. So, it’s going to be a seven to possible nine-month pregnancy.” Don rubbed his hands on his upper arms. 

Irma couldn’t help but look down at his belly after he lowered his arms. She didn’t see any difference in his stomach. But would his stomach swell out? Time would tell. 

Donatello knew she was looking at his belly. He turned away. It did make him feel a little uncomfortable. “I’m not going to show for some time yet, Irma. A few months yet,” he said.  
   
The mention of time passing reminded Irma to check her watch. She made a surprised noise and hopped to her feet. “It was good to see you, Donatello, but I have to go now. Howie’s waiting for me.” Irma gave Don a quick hug. “I’ll be here if you need me,” she promised.  
   
“Wait, Irma. I know I’ve never given you one, but perhaps it’s time you have your own turtle com to stay in contact with us,” Don offered. 

Irma smiled. “That would be great, Donatello.” 

Don went over to his work desk. He picked up the com on the desk. “I just finished this one yesterday. I’ll make another. As one of our closest friends, you should have one too.”  
   
“Thanks, Donatello.” 

“Anytime, Irma. You can call anytime, like April.” 

“I will. But I need to go now.” She put the new phone into her pocket. 

“Thanks for stopping by,” Don said. 

Irma said goodbye to the other turtles on the way out. 

Donatello was starting to pick up his book again when his brothers came into the lab.  
   
“So, what did Irma want?” Raph asked. 

“She said that April told her about the babies and she came to congratulate me. She said she’d be here if we need her. And, I gave her a turtle com,” Don replied.  
   
“That will be two female role models they will have in their lives now,” Leo said. 

“What do you think the twins are, Donatello?” Mike asked. 

“I don’t know. But, I am going to start making cradles for them soon. I want to do it before my stomach gets too big. And, we still need to choose a place where they are going to sleep.” 

Splinter came into the lab. “I will give up my room,” the rat volunteered.  
   
“Why, Sensei?” Don asked. 

“Because it is closest to your rooms. You need to be able to get to them when they cry. I assume they will,” the wise rat said.  
   
“It’s possible, if they have a good portion of our human half,” Donatello theorized.  
   
“We weren’t that different from human kids when we got turned into tiny turtles,” Leo considered. 

“Yeah, but you were toddlers and five year olds. You weren’t exactly infants,” Don countered. “Of course, I was one too,” he chuckled to himself. 

Then, an idea struck Mike. “Hey, Dude. Do you want to go out for dinner? We won’t order anything with fish on it.” 

Don grimaced and clutched his stomach at the mere thought of fish. “I can’t handle a lot of things right now, Michelangelo. Maybe when my first trimester is over. For now, I have to continue eating the foods on the list that Jane gave me if I want to keep anything down.”

“You could order some of those foods at restaurants too,” Leo noted. “We could use a break from the lair.” 

“Alright, as long as you promise no fish.” Don sighed. “I just have to take some crackers with me. It’s crucial.” 

“That’s fine,” Leo agreed.  

Don marked his spot in the library book and put it down, then followed his brothers to the closet. They had picked out their nice suits. 

“Why these?” Don asked. 

“I was thinking that nice place - the Posh Pizza Place,” Michelangelo explained.  
   
“Oh,” Don mouthed. 

The guys all got into their suits, though when Donatello got into his, it felt a little tight on his stomach. He tried to loosen the pants a bit. 

“What’s wrong?” Mike asked. 

“They never used to feel this tight,” Don complained. 

“Could you already be getting big?” Raph snickered.  
   
“Very funny!” Don snapped at him. 

“Maybe you are, Donatello,” Leo considered. “But let’s go out and enjoy this time, while we can.” He put a hand on Don’s left shoulder. 

Don managed to successfully loosen his pants. The turtles then they got their human masks and left the lair for some fun and food. Don remembered to grab his crackers. He would need them to hopefully maintain his stomach. They all had their weapons too, just in case. They never left the lair without them. 

They walked to the restaurant. Don’s stomach managed to remain just fine. There were some heavenly smells coming from inside. But, there were some smells that weren’t so good to Don’s nose either. 

There was a long line to get inside, so the turtles went in from the back entrance, near the sewers. They found a table for four and sat down. 

A French waiter came over and gave them menus. “So, what can I get you to drink, gentlemen?”

“Pepsi for me,” Mike said. 

“Root beer,” Raph said. 

“Tea is fine for me,” Leo said. 

Don ordered a water. He normally preferred soda, but was giving it up for now. 

The man left, and the turtles began going through the menus. They were going to try to eat something else besides pizza this time. But nothing else really looked appetizing to Leo, Raph, and Mike. 

When the man came back with their drinks, he asked if they were ready to order.  
   
“I’ll have a meat lover’s pizza,” Leo said. 

“Pepperoni pizza,” Mike said. 

“Sausage pizza,” Raph said. 

“I’ll have a salad and a steak. No croutons,” Don said. 

His brothers looked at him as though he had two heads. 

“What? I’m craving a steak and salad,” Don defended. 

The waiter took the menus back after taking their orders. 

“This is really unusual for you to not order pizza,” Raphael pointed out. 

“I just don’t crave pizza guys,” Don said. “I’m just eating what I can and what I crave, as long as it’s food. I read it’s not unusual for pregnant mothers to get cravings. And now that I’m feeling a little better, I think I am starting to get them too. Though, I still do get sick at times.”  
   
“Are you going to eat some crackers before the waiter comes back?” Leo asked. 

“Yes, I should start,” Don said. He got out his crackers and ate a few of them to get his stomach ready for food. He was feeling hungry now, and he didn’t want to get sick here at the restaurant. 

Don put his crackers away just as his salad was brought to the table. He immediately began eating it. It had Ranch dressing, cucumbers, and tomatoes on it, along with some purple onions and carrots.

The others didn’t know how Donatello could eat that. But then, he was going through something that none of them were - something special that was changing his taste in foods. 

After eating his salad, Donny did keep his food down. The crackers were helping. He washed it all down with the water. 

Soon, the pizzas were all delivered to the table and the trio of pizza-eaters dug in, albeit a bit sloppily. The sight of it was almost making Donny sick. 

“Please, stop!” Don begged. 

Leo, Raph, and Mike stopped eating. “What?” Mike barked.  
   
“Please eat a little smoother. I can’t take it to see you eating like that,” Don pleaded.  
   
“You ate your salad all too neatly,” Raph argued. 

“I have to. Just too many things can make me sick right now, Raphael,” Don pouted.  
   
“Alright, we’ll eat slower and calmer,” Leo agreed. He gave his bros a glare. He didn’t want Don getting upset or sick. 

The waiter returned with Don’s steak. Don cut it up neatly. He had never minded eating sloppily before, but now the thought alone just about made him gag.  
   
The other three turtles saw how neatly Don was cutting the steak and how calmly he was eating it. Other humans ate like that too. The turtles tried to copy it, just to keep their pregnant brother calm. 

They soon finished their meals, paid the bill, and left the restaurant. But, down the street, an alarm went off at a local bank. 

“Look! Those guys just robbed that bank!” Leonardo pointed out. “Donatello, stay here.”  
   
“I can still fight,” Don argued.

“No. We’ll handle it. You are only to fight if you have to,” Mike said.  
   
The other three ran after the robbers. They took off their human masks, but left their suits on.  
   
Donatello hated being left behind. If it wasn’t for his condition, he could fight alongside them.  
   
The robbers were terrified at seeing the turtles. Many humans still were. But, the robbers didn’t get away with stealing the money. They were dealt with and tied up before the police arrived. 

Donny had stayed back on a bench, stuck watching from a distance. His bros returned to him just as police were arriving. 

“Let’s go home,” Leo said. 

“I second that,” Don agreed, feeling tired, despite sitting out the fight. 

The turtles went home, satisfied with their adventures for the day. 


	6. Chapter 6

Over the following weeks, Donatello could only seem to eat the foods on the list that Jane had given him. He went out to dinner once a week with his brothers, but they still had to watch what they ate when he was around. 

Don ate his crackers and drank some water before getting out of bed every morning, and it seemed to help settle his stomach before he got up. Despite all of his efforts, he still got morning sickness at times. It wasn’t pleasant to lose all he had eaten, but there wasn’t anything that he could do about it. 

When Don was eight weeks pregnant, Splinter decided to check everyone's weight. Raph and Leo’s weights were about the same. Don had lost five pounds, which was understandable since he still wasn’t keeping much down. Because he was such a pizza-holic, Mike had gained some weight. Splinter put him on a strict diet. 

Michelangelo pouted and tried to sneak into the kitchen whenever he thought that no one was looking. Leo or Splinter always caught him before he could get too far. Michelangelo then gave up on the kitchen and began attempting to break into the stash of crackers that Donatello was keeping in his bedroom. Don started leaving a broom by the door, which he used to chase his hungriest brother away. 

At nine weeks along, Donny reported for another check up with Jane. He was currently lying on his back while staring up at the ceiling and feeling the wand being moved around on his plastron. He could hear Jane hitting buttons on the keyboard as she adjusted the images. Don kept glancing over to see what was on the screen. 

Don had come to this appointment alone, but he brought an empty tape so he could take the sonogram home with him. He wanted his family to be able to see what his twins looked like.

Jane finally got the image settled. “There’s the first one,” she said. Don looked at the baby’s image with wide eyes. He could feel his heart flutter in his chest. Jane noticed his softening demeanor and smiled. 

Don’s plastron was still hard, which made the ultrasound difficult to complete. Jane moved the wand over to Don’s side, so that they could see every detail. The baby seemed to have the same number of fingers and toes forming as its father. Jane and Don could see a spine developing inside a tiny shell. 

Jane examined the second baby as well, and said that it looked just as healthy as its sibling. It was hard for Don to believe that his babies had changed like this over just a few weeks. Last time he saw them, they were only little dots on the screen. 

“So, how are you feeling these days, Donatello?” Jane asked. 

“Bloated, moody, and exhausted.” the turtle complained. 

“Those are normal pregnancy symptoms,” Jane soothed. “Normal turtles’ plastrons don’t change when they are carrying eggs, but given your unique anatomy, it’s very possible that you will start seeing changes soon. The twins are only about the size of green olives now, but they are growing fast.” 

Donatello had seen green olives on his pizzas before. Even though olives are pretty small, it was hard to believe that his babies were already that size when they hadn’t even existed at all until a few months ago. Don wasn’t looking forward to watching his belly grow, but he was willing to do whatever it would take to ensure the health of his children. And with double the babies, his belly would be even bigger than if it were just one. As much as he knew carrying twins would be harder on him, he was happy that his babies would have each other. 

“Do you have any idea when the morning sickness is going to stop?” Don asked. 

“It’s just a normal part of pregnancy - your body’s way of reacting to all of the hormones and changes. It should pass by the time you reach the second trimester. That should be within the next month or so. Have you had any cravings yet?” Jane asked. 

“Some. Mainly just for fruits. I do get the occasional urge to eat dirt, for some reason,” Don admitted. 

Jane giggled. “You do know that you can’t eat dirt, right?” 

Don smiled a little. “I know.” 

Jane then played the heartbeats. They were good and fast, as they should have been. Don couldn't get enough of hearing them. He was a little sad when Jane finally turned off the machine. 

Jane handed Donatello a towel to clean his belly off. Then, he put his belt back on. Jane printed off some pictures and gave Don the recording.

“So, how did everything look?” Don asked. 

“They check out normally, Donatello. Nice and healthy,” Jane replied. 

“That’s good. I still get sick a lot, so I worry about them, and if they’re getting enough nutrition.” 

“From how you describe your eating habits lately, I think you’re doing just fine. Keep it up,” Jane encouraged. 

Don thanked his doctor and left the clinic. He felt so relieved that everything was okay. As shocking as this pregnancy was, he had already grown very attached to the babies. He had nightmares about losing them, or things going wrong. He just wanted them to be okay, even if that meant that he felt miserable himself.   
…………….

Back at the lair, Donatello had invited all his family and friends to view the recording. He turned it on, and the images appeared on the TV. The guys had seen ultrasounds on TV before, but none like this. What they had seen before had been baby humans. These were baby mutant turtles!

“Aww!” Everyone gushed. 

“They are so cute, Donatello!” April bubbled. 

“Thanks. They still have a lot of growing to do,” Don said. 

“It still seems like a long time before we’ll get to see them in person,” Mike commented.

“They’ll be here before we know it,” Splinter countered. 

When Donny turned the tape off, a chill went down his spine. “I know the big question is when are they going to be born,” Don began. He knew that no one wanted to think about the next part, but they needed to be prepared. “When it does come time for me to deliver them, it’s going to have to be a caesarean section,” he told them. 

Leo could sense his brother’s anxiety sailing through the roof and offered him what little comfort he could. “Don’t worry. We will help you get through it,” Leo promised.

Don smiled. “Thanks.”

“So what do you think they are, Donatello?” Irma asked. “Girls or boys, or one of each?”

“Our family is already so full of guys. I am hoping for at least one girl,” Don replied with a faraway look. 

“And if they’re both boys?” Raph asked. 

“I’ll love them too, of course,” Don answered. 

“They will be what they will be, my sons. We can only wait and see,” Splinter said. 

“You also still need to think of names for them,” April reminded. 

“You can all try to help me come up with names,” Don offered. “We will need two for each gender. But since I’m the dad, and the one carrying them, I get to make the final decisions. And please keep it within the Italian range.”

Everyone was pleased with that. “So you want to keep to what Master Splinter started?” Leo asked.

“Yes.” Don replied. 

“There will be much to get them,” Splinter said, after the room fell quiet again. 

“I have already begun work on the first cradle,” Don told everyone. “But yes, there will be a lot more work to do to get ready for them.”

“Are we really ready for this, guys?” Raph wondered aloud. 

“What do you mean?” Leo asked. 

“I mean with the way our lives are. We are always so busy trying to save the city and the world from bad guys. Can we be parents too?” 

“I’m gonna be the parent, not you!” Don snapped. “It’s not like I’m asking for much, just a little support!”

“Yes, but parenting is a big job, and you are going to be needing help from all of us,” April soothed. 

“I know. I just… I’m scared about this just as much as you guys, if not more, because this is happening to me,” Don looked down at his stomach, patting it. “Sorry for snapping at you, Raphael. I’m just having a hard time controlling my emotions lately.”

“It’ll be okay. We all did well when Treble was here. We can do this, guys,” Leo rallied. “And, we have to do it, for Donatello and the twins.” 

“We still have time to prepare for them, so we can all get used to the idea of becoming parents,” Don said, somewhat apologetically. 

“You have probably handled the pregnancy far better than we ever could have,” Mike considered. “And, you’re the most sciencey one here.” 

“I know a lot of things, but this is just very new for me too,” Don fretted. “Doing the research and experiencing it, feeling it happen inside of me, are two very different things.”

“And, we can’t help you all that much because while we may be women, we have never been pregnant ourselves,” April admitted, referring to herself and Irma. 

“Babies may not be my area of expertise, but I can’t wait to meet yours,” Irma cheered. 

“Thanks, everyone,” Don said. 

Afterwards, they all separated to go do their own thing. Donatello went to his lab to work on the new cradle. The conversation had left him feeling overwhelmed.   
……………

A few weeks later, at 12 weeks along, Donatello was glad his morning sickness was starting to subside. He began to feel capable of doing a lot more, rather than staying in bed all day due to dizziness, nausea, and fatigue. 

He wanted to get out of the lair and find things to do while he still could. It was October now, and it was getting closer to winter, when the turtles would need to stay inside more. The temperatures were already cooling off, but they were still warm enough for the turtles to be out and about. 

Don gave April some money to purchase a new trench coat and some bigger clothes for him. He didn’t know how big he was going to get, but he wanted to be prepared so that he could still go out. Even though it was more difficult, his family still liked to get out of the lair and visit restaurants or go to movies during the winter months. It kept them from going stir crazy, and Don didn’t want to be left out. 

By now, Donny’s energy levels were almost back to normal. He was keeping up with his daily katas and exercises. It was still essential to exercise and keep in shape even while pregnant. Donatello would need to snap back quickly after the birth, and even now, he needed to be able to protect himself and his children from any danger that might come their way. 

When out on the streets, Don acted strangely whenever he passed by babies in strollers and baby stores in general. He gushed over tiny fingers and toes, as well as displays in storefront windows. He didn’t have a lot of money, but sometimes he couldn’t resist buying his babies a stuffed animal or educational toy. 

The guys had never seen him behave like this, but they were trying their best to adjust. Even when they tried to relax and watch a movie, Donatello would sometimes just break down and cry for no apparent reason. Everyone knew that it was just the hormones, but it was still awkward. No one knew whether to comfort him or simply do their best to pretend not to notice. 

The turtles also had to watch out for what they said to Don, because he could be happy one moment, then mad or sad the next. When Michelangelo finally managed to steal some of Don’s jolly rancher candies, Don yelled at him for being a selfish jerk, then broke down crying and apologizing for losing his temper. He insisted that Michelangelo take the whole bag as a peace offering. Michelangelo was happy to oblige, but Splinter forced him to give it back.

Donatello’s stomach had finally started to visibly pop out a little bit. Since he still wanted to carry his bo, he made a larger belt for his waistline. 

Things had changed since last year and the turtles were definitely not going to another party at Channel Six. Neither was April, given that she no longer worked there. She had been tired of the complaints from so many of her ex-coworkers, especially from Burne and Vernon. April was glad she had enough experience and a good enough reputation that she could pay the bills by working as a freelance reporter. 

Irma still worked for Channel Six, but only behind the scenes as a camera-person, or even a secretary at times. She had never wanted to be a reporter. 

Irma and Howie’s relationship was taking a very romantic turn, and Irma even brought Howie down to the turtles’ lair to see it and meet Master Splinter. Splinter was pleased to meet Howie. He liked to see Irma happy. 

Howie was glad to have found a woman who supported him in his love of music and other things. 

“Music is good for babies, you know.” Howie said when everyone was hanging out one night.

“It depends on the kind of music,” Don replied. He was going to be pretty protective over what he would let his kids listen to. 

For Halloween, the turtles and their human friends went to a party at City Hall. Howie and Irma went together. April was covering the party for the news. The turtles all went to have a good time. 

The guys were in disguises, and girls picked each of them to dance and have fun. Donatello tried not to let on about his babies. He wore a ghost costume that covered his entire body, hiding both his mutant nature and his slightly swollen belly. He danced and partied the same as his brothers. 

There was plenty of food there too. Don managed to suppress the urge to create strange combinations, like pickles with cookies an’ cream ice cream. No one else considered that to be an appetizing mixture, but Donatello couldn’t help his cravings. 

When the friends reunited, they left the party and went to Vinnie’s for dinner. Don was still not interested in pizza, but he could tolerate eating it again. Mike kept on trying to influence him to eat it. But, all Don wanted was a hamburger - or, make it three hamburgers. 

To his family and friends, it seemed like Don had an appetite now that could rival Mike’s. Mike was still on his diet. He hadn’t lost much weight, since he kept cheating. Don often felt Michelangelo glaring jealously at him when he was indulging in one of his pig-out sessions. Whenever that happened, Don would look Mikey dead in the eyes and continue stuffing his face. 

When April next took Don to see the doctor, she mentioned Don’s newfound appetite to her.   
“What I think is happening is that Donatello’s body is trying to make up for the time when he couldn’t keep much down. It’s trying to get nutrients back in it that it lost when he was suffering through the worst of the morning sickness,” Jane explained. “The babies were foreign to his body, and he was adjusting to their needs. Now, the babies have been accepted, and they are growing fast. Don needs a lot of food to provide for his needs as well as theirs.” 

At the next weigh in, Donatello had indeed gained some weight as a result of his voracious appetite. He blushed a little when he saw the number on the scale. 

“Try to gain weight slowly, Donatello,” Jane warned. 

“I feel like I’m overweight already. I know that I’m beginning to look it,” Don moaned.

“This is normal. All pregnant mothers feel this way at times. But, it’s for a good reason. You are bringing life into the world and this is part of the process,” Jane replied. 

“I know. Normal turtles don’t get fat, though,” Donatello pouted. 

“Well, you aren’t a normal turtle,” Jane reminded him. “I’d say your body has accepted the twins.” 

“How many pounds do I need to gain altogether?” Donatello asked. 

“There are a lot of variables. I’d say somewhere around 40 pounds would be good, since you are carrying twins.” 

Don’s eyes widened. “That’s going to be a ton of weight for me to lose after I have them!” 

“You will lose a lot of that right after the twins are born. There’s excess blood and fluid other than the babies that you are carrying. When we do your caesarean, I’m also going to remove the organ that the babies are growing in. It seems to be responsible for most of your hormone production. I’m sure that you’ll be happy to be rid of it, after the twins aren’t using it anymore.”

Don sighed. “The hormones have been doing a real number on me. The others aren’t used to seeing my moods change like they do.” 

“It’s something that can’t be helped. You just do what feels right for you,” Jane advised.  
“Remember that it won’t be like this forever.”

“Thanks,” Don said. “I’ll try to keep that in mind the next time I feel the urge to wring someone’s neck for stealing my warm spot on the couch.”

“You’re welcome. And, don‘t fight out on the streets unless it’s absolutely necessary. It‘s normal to have some increased energy at this time, but take it easy,” Jane recommended.

Don nodded. “Don't worry. My family is keeping me in check.”

Don and April said their goodbyes and left the clinic.   
…………….

Even though it was still very early, Splinter had chosen a new room for himself. He let his sons start getting his old room ready for the twins. Donatello put the finishing touches on the cradles, dusted off his hands, and rolled them into the nursery. His family praised the lovingly-built beds with over the top enthusiasm, if only to keep Don from getting upset. 

When he had a moment to himself, Donny snuck into the nursery and looked down at the empty beds while rubbing a hand tenderly over the small bump in his lower plastron. He tried to imagine what it would look like with the babies lying in the cradles. He still wondered what they were, as did the others. 

Don also wondered when would he start to feel the twins move. Jane knew now that they were not developing in eggs, so this would be more like a normal human pregnancy. Don was embarrassed by his mood swings and changing appearance, but the prospect of feeling his babies’ first movements inside of him was something that he really looked forward to. 

Don was sure there would still be much more to come. He just hoped he wouldn’t have any accidents while he was expecting. Most of all, he hoped that Floyd Row wouldn’t come after him again, or any other scientist for that matter. The city couldn’t know his secret.


	7. Chapter 7

  
Floyd really did want to know if his experiment had actually worked. He decided that he would need to capture Donatello again to see how the turtle was progressing. 

He knew that the turtles ate at Vinnie’s quite a bit. He also knew the turtles would resist him. Floyd didn't want to stress Donatello out any more than necessary, but he was very invested in this project and couldn’t allow it to go unchecked for too long.

He instructed his men to wait near Vinnie’s and stage a capture of the pregnant turtle. He needed to see how everything looked, whether Donatello liked it or not.   
……………

Two weeks later, the turtles enjoyed a relaxing day topside. As evening fell, they headed to Vinnie’s to grab some food before returning home.

Donatello was beginning to eat pizza again, in the hopes that his kids could learn to tolerate it. For so long, he had avoided it, because it had made him sick to his stomach. Now that he was in the 14th week, he was able to handle it again. 

Floyd’s men recognized the turtles in their trench coats. It was their most common disguise. They didn’t have their human masks on either, so they were easy to spot. 

After the food was paid for and the guys were leaving the restaurant, they heard shattering glass, the noise had come from across the street at a jewelry store. The turtles could hear the security alarm going off. No one ran out, but there were some men in front of the store. 

The turtles were on high alert. 

“Hey! Come back here!” Leonardo shouted as the men laughed and began to run. 

“Stay here, Donatello,” Mike ordered. He, Raph, and Leo then chased after the apparent burglars. 

Donny missed helping his brothers fight crimes. This pregnancy just seemed like an excuse to be lazy sometimes, and Donatello hated feeling left out.

Donatello was just about ready to sit down on a bench and wait for his brothers, when a bunch of human ninjas jumped out and surrounded him. He was startled for a moment, but he knew he couldn’t back down. He instantly took out his bo. He kept his coat on.

“We knew you guys would fall for that jewelry store diversion,” a man laughed. 

“Now you are alone, without your brothers to protect you,” another added. 

“What do you want?” Donatello demanded. He held his staff at the ready. 

A few of the men charged him, testing him. 

Donatello’s reflexes were still as strong as ever. He saw a fist that was coming right at his stomach and he quickly deflected it with his bo. He was determined to protect his midsection. His hat flew off during the fight. 

The man had only been testing the turtle. He was sure Don would protect himself in his condition, if he knew about it, which apparently, from his reaction that he got, he knew about it clearly. 

There were a few more blows aimed at Donatello. He managed to defend himself from them all of them, both with his bo, and with powerful kicks to the attackers’ abdomens. 

Just when he thought he had defeated everyone, Donatello felt something sharp prick his left bicep, even through his coat. He looked and found a dart sticking out. He quickly pulled it off, but he was starting to feel the drug’s effects already. His vision began to get fuzzy.

“Oh, got to… stay awake,” Don panted, dropping his staff on the ground while trying to keep his feet. 

“Got you now, Turtle,” Don heard a voice near him proclaim. He looked over and saw the men coming back for him.

“No… Leave me… alone…” he moaned. He went down on one knee, grasping his staff again. 

“Grab him,” one of the men ordered. 

Two men came over and one jerked the staff out of the turtle’s hand and threw it back to the ground. They hoisted Donatello by the arms, pulled him to his feet and began dragging him away. He was still conscious enough to try to struggle, but it was in vain. 

“Let me go…” Don demanded, but his order fell on deaf ears. 

He was dragged down the block, forced into an alley, and pushed into a big van. He was still awake, but only just barely. There was a table in the back of the van. 

“Get him onto the table while the drugs are still effective,” a man ordered. 

Don’s vision was so blurry, but he could see where he was. It looked like another lab. “No…” he whimpered. 

The men picked him up and lifted him onto the table, with a third helping lift his legs. 

Once he was on the table, Donatello still struggled as much as he could in his weakened state. “The boss didn’t want you to be completely knocked out. We used just enough sedative to take most of the fight out of you,” the man standing up by Don’s head explained. “Get his coat open,” he then ordered the others. 

“No! Leave me alone!” Donatello squirmed. He was pushed down, and his hands and legs were secured to the table using metal shackles. 

The men were able to work better when Don wasn’t struggling freely, but the turtle kept on resisting as best he could. 

One man got to Don’s middle and began untying the belt on the trench coat. He managed to get it undone despite the turtle’s resistance. 

Even being lightly sedated, Donatello was determined not to let them harm his babies. “Oh, please… don’t do this…” he begged. 

Floyd had been riding in the van’s passenger seat. He climbed into the back and moved to the examination table. Now that Don was tied down and his coat was open, Floyd could see that there was indeed a small, but telltale swelling in the turtle’s stomach. The experiment was a success! 

“Hello again, Donatello. I said I’d be watching,” Floyd reminded his subject. 

A chill went down Don’s spine. “What… what are you going to do?” he asked, shakily. 

“Just a simple exam. Nothing harmful,” Floyd told him. “I’m going to take some blood too.” 

“No!” Don yelled. He squirmed some more. 

Two more men came over, held his left arm down, and moved his coat sleeve up. They drew some blood with a syringe. They then pulled up his belt and put some cold gel onto his stomach.   
……………

Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo returned to where they had left Donatello. They were shocked to discover that he was gone.

“Where is he?” Raph demanded. 

“I don’t know. I’ll call him,” Leo said. He took out his turtle com and dialed Donatello. 

That was strange. He wasn’t answering. 

“We’ll track him down,” Leo decided. 

They began following the signal.  
……………

Don heard his turtle com beep. He was breathing hard through what the men were doing to him. He had stopped struggling for the moment. 

“What’s that?” a man near Don’s legs asked. 

Floyd looked. “It’s his turtle com. The others are on to us. Hurry up!”

“There’s one of the babies,” the man performing the ultrasound informed them. 

“That’s one good looking baby turtle,” Floyd declared. “Find the second one quick!” 

The man moved the wand until he found the second baby. Then the sound was turned on. 

“I see there are two healthy baby turtles in your belly,” Floyd said. “Next spring, it will come time to take them out.” 

Donatello froze at that. “You won’t touch me!”   
……………

“That’s where the signal’s coming from.” Leonardo said, pointing down the alley to a truck. 

He and the other two turtles had found Don’s bo on their way there. Some men blocked their way to the truck, but they fought through them and won. These humans weren’t going to stop them from saving their brother!  
……………

Floyd could hear noises coming from the alley. 

“They’re here! Hurry up!” Floyd ordered.

“Let me go!” Donatello cried out. He struggled some more. 

The men had just finished with him, but before they could turn him loose, the back doors burst open. The four humans and one tied-down turtle whipped their heads around to see the intruder. It was Raphael. 

“Get away from him!” Raph demanded. He got into the truck and pointed his sais at the men. 

“Very well, Raphael. I had no plans to hurt him. I only wanted to examine him,” Floyd said. 

As Raph looked at Donny, he saw his coat had been opened up, his belt had been moved, and his stomach had some goo on it. Worst of all, the pregnant genius was clearly terrified. Raph opened the shackles up and helped Donatello to his feet. 

Donatello was glad to be let up. He had to have a hand under his arm to help him stand. He was still suffering from the effects of the drug. His vision was blurry and he was weak and dizzy. 

Donatello noticed Raphael’s questioning look. “They drugged me,” he explained. 

“The drug won’t harm the babies,” Floyd assured.

“How do you know that?” Raph demanded. “Come on, let’s get you out of here.” 

Raph helped his brother out of the tailgate. “If we ever catch you around Donatello again, we’ll make sure that you pay dearly for it!” he warned the humans, angrily. 

The men ceased fighting the other turtles while Raph led Don through the crowd. Don held his stomach. He was worried about the twins. That had been very humiliating. He still felt the gooey gel on his stomach, that was now on his hand. 

“We had better not meet again, Mister!” Leo added on to Raph’s warning. 

The turtles backed off for the sake of Donatello. They got him out of there as quickly as they could. They had taken their coats off to fight the bad guys easier. Don’s was still hanging open on him. 

Donny took some Kleenex tissues out of a pocket and began wiping the goo off his stomach. Beneath his left sleeve, he had a bandage on his arm from the blood taking. 

When they were far enough away, the turtles found a bench. They helped Donatello sit down and gave him back his bo. 

“What were they planning to do to you?” Mike asked. 

“That was Floyd Row. He wanted to examine me. And… I think he wants my babies,” Donatello answered. He placed a protective hand on his stomach and looked up at his brothers, sadly. 

“We won’t let him harm you or the twins,” Leo assured. “That’s a promise.” 

“Are you alright?” Mike asked. “You could hardly walk out of there.” 

“Floyd’s men drugged me,” Don replied. “They sedated me just enough to where they could force me into that truck for an exam. Maybe they would have done more, if you guys hadn’t shown up.” 

“We followed your turtle com signal,” Raph said. 

Don was glad to have had it on him. 

“Let’s go home so that you can go to bed,” Leo suggested. 

“Not before I see what they pumped into me,” Don retorted. 

They went home and Don ran a test to see what was in his bloodstream. He wanted to be sure that he was alright, but he was even more worried about the babies.

He reviewed the blood test results, and was relieved to find that the drug was harmless. The next day, he asked Jane to conduct her own exam. She completed an ultrasound and ran more blood work. The results were the same. There was nothing that would harm Donatello or the twins. They were doing just fine. 

The attack on his wellbeing had left Donatello feeling very unsettled. This was the third time that Floyd had come after him. He felt like he had a target painted on his back. There was a big risk that he had taken on when he decided to continue Floyd’s experimental pregnancy. Right now, it felt like Floyd was always lurking around a corner, just waiting to grab him again. Things were getting pretty scary. 

Donatello wasn’t going to allow Floyd to capture him again. Floyd wasn’t going to get his hands on Don’s babies. Ever. After this latest scare, and after conferring with Splinter, everyone decided that Donatello shouldn’t go out into public for a while. Things needed to settle down, or they were going to have to find a new place to stay. It wasn’t worth it to keep risking Don’s life and the twins’ lives. All this stress was not good for them.


	8. Chapter 8

When April heard about the attack on Donatello, she racked her mind to think of a safe place to hide her friends, if it ever came to that. Then, she remembered that her aunt had an old farm upstate that would work. She decided to talk to them about it. 

She brought some pizza down to the lair later and some healthy foods for Don. While they were sitting at the table eating, she mentioned her idea. 

“My Aunt Aggie’s family has an old farm upstate from here. If you ever need to get out of the city, especially for Donatello and the twins’ safety, you’d be more than welcome to use it,” April said. 

The guys all looked at her. 

“You never brought it up before,” Leo finally said. 

“I haven’t been to the place in years, Leonardo. It slipped my mind. I just remembered it as I was thinking of ways to keep Donatello safe.” 

“After what happened with Floyd the other day, it should be taken into consideration,” Donny agreed. “I don’t want any more trouble while I’m in this condition.” 

“We will certainly think about it, April,” Splinter promised. “Thank you for your kind offer.” 

She nodded with a smile.

“Is there a TV up there?” Raph asked. 

“Yes. It’s an old one. It would probably need some repairs,” April explained. 

“Nothing I couldn’t handle,” Don said. 

“So, when do we leave?” Mike asked. 

“Not yet, Michelangelo. We’ll go when we are ready, not before,” Leo assured. 

Mike shrugged. “Just asking.” 

“We can stay down here for the time being. If it gets too cold, or something else happens, we will need to leave immediately,” Leo declared. “But for now, at least, we’ll stay in our home a little longer.” 

“By the time the babies are ready to be born, it should be warm outside again,” Don said thoughtfully. The birth still seemed so far away, when he thought about it that way. 

“The sewer is probably not the best place for the twins to be starting out their lives anyway,” April stated. 

“We did just fine,” Mike said. 

“Yes, but we were older when we were mutated. My babies will be smaller and weaker than we ever were,” Don agreed with April. “I don’t want them getting sick right at birth.” 

“Yes, they will need a good start in life,” Splinter nodded. “We will definitely go to this farmhouse when Donatello is later in his pregnancy. Can you tell me how big the house is?” 

“It’s pretty big. It has three stories. A few of you might have to double up, but Donatello can have his own room to share with the twins.” 

“I’d like that,” Don smiled. “Jane would have to come up to visit me, or someone will have to bring me back to the city for exams.” 

“We could manage that,” Leo agreed. “But then, while you are there, you could surely turn a part of the house into a lab and surgery area.” 

“I would have to. But none of you are qualified to do surgery when it comes time to deliver my babies.” 

“If one of us were in your position, I bet you’d be willing to perform the operation,” Mikey guessed. 

“Of course, I would,” Don agreed. “I would study all I could to be prepared for it. But, I can’t operate on myself, and I wouldn’t expect you guys to take on that responsibility. Jane will be doing the operation when the time comes.” 

“What about Irma?” Raph asked, wanting to change the subject. ”Could she come visit?” 

“Any of our friends would be welcome to visit us,” Splinter said. “We know it would be far away.” 

“I could take my work with me and set my computer up up there to figure out my reports. And if you needed something, I could be there to help out,” April offered. “I’d be happy to go back and forth between the farm and the city if Irma or Zack wants to visit.” 

“That’s right. We haven’t heard from Zack in a while,” Don remembered. 

“He’s busy being a teenager,” Raph chuckled. 

“He’s still our fifth turtle,” Leo said seriously. “We should tell him when we plan on going away. It would be best to start planning now.” 

“I’m only in my fourth month, Leonardo,” Don said gently. 

“We should plan to head up there when you reach your seventh month at the latest,” Leo advised. 

“Or the sixth month. That way, it would give us plenty of time to get ready for the babies,” Don considered. “I would get something set up for delivery up there. I wouldn’t want to be driven clear down here when I’m in labor. How far is the drive, April?” 

“It’s about a 150 mile drive,” April replied. “So, it takes a few hours.”

“Should be safe enough up there,” Don nodded. 

“We can still come back and get stuff as needed,” Mike agreed. 

“What about the crime on the streets? Who’s going to stop that?” Raph asked.

“Right now, Donatello is our first priority,” Leo explained, “Sure, if we need to come back for a little while, we can fight some crimes. But, Donatello won’t be able to join us.” 

Donatello was glad his brothers were taking this very seriously. They used to be so silly and childish. While they still had their fair share of fun, they had grown up considerably during these last few years of dealing with the Shredder. 

Now that Shredder was gone, they had almost all the time in the world to relax and have fun. They knew that they should enjoy it while they could, because once the twins arrived, all their lives would be changed completely. Hopefully, it would be a change for the better. 

After they finished dinner, April had to leave. But, the turtles said that once they developed a plan for going up to the farmhouse, they would inform her. They didn’t know the way yet, so she would have to take them there. 

Donny began thinking of when he wanted to go up there for his safety and the babies’. He wanted plenty of time to get the house ready for the birth, and for it to be turtle-fied to his expectations. 

But as Don had suggested at the table, they would wait until his sixth month, at the earliest. “I will need time to get things done around here before the size of my stomach completely holds me back,” Don told them.

In his lab, Donatello began to make a list of things that he would need to take with him to the farmhouse. He also started thinking about plans to get it ready. Most of his heavy-duty stuff would have to stay behind in the sewers, but he would make sure to monitor things by camera and by turtle com.  
……………

Having the babies on the way made all the turtles think about how their lives were going to be changed when they finally arrived. Things wouldn’t be the same again, but they would find ways to make it work. There would have to be a new kind of normal. The babies’ needs would have to be put first. 

Donatello knew that he was prepared to be a new parent by now, but were his brothers ready too? Of course, there was still plenty to do, but things were getting figured out little by little. Donatello wondered if the babies would need formula or baby food as their first food. He wondered if they would inherit his smarts, or if they were going to be anything like his brothers. There were so many questions that were on his mind, but the answers would only come with time. 

Don also thought of the endless possibilities of what he could teach his children about math and science, how to fix things, etc. If the right people would listen, he was willing to teach others. He was sure his kids would be great students one day.  

Leonardo was beginning to think of the possibility of new students joining them in the dojo in a few years. He could teach them about how honorable it was to be a ninja, and pass on the lessons that his sensei had taught him. He would explain how ninjutsu gave their lives meaning, despite them being so different from the humans. He knew Master Splinter would one day step down as their sensei and hand the duties of training over to Leo completely. Don’s twins would be Leo’s first students. 

Raphael began to think of teaching the kids his jokes and just having someone to laugh and fool around with. 

Michelangelo thought that he and the twins could have fun cooking pizzas together, reading comic books, or playing with his toy collection. It would be fun having little turtles around the lair. 

Master Splinter was happy that Donatello had decided to take this challenge on. This would give his sons and students a chance at a future - something else in their lives that could improve them for the better. He would one day step down as their teacher and let his sons take over, especially Leonardo. 

Splinter was looking forward to being like a grandfather to the babies. He was getting older, but he was still capable of fighting alongside his sons when needed. He would protect his grandbabies with his life. He was going to leave most of the childcare to his sons, but would help out when needed. He knew these young turtles would need a lot of guidance to become the honorable ninja turtles of tomorrow.   

The turtles had just changed from regular turtles to teenagers during their mutation, so Splinter wasn’t really sure how his grandchildren would look or behave. The turtles had told Splinter about when they had been changed into small turtles before, and how much trouble they had caused. These babies would surely be a lot of work as well. Splinter and the turtles didn’t know much about infants. It would take a lot of help from their friends to be good parents and caretakers to the twins. 

April knew her life would be changed as well. She would still keep up her reporting career, but she would be there when her friends needed her, just like she had always been. It was easier now that she didn’t have to report to a boss every single day. She got to choose her own work hours. And, she would try to be like an aunt for the twins. She had a general idea of what the babies would need, if they were going to be anything like human babies, even though she had never had kids of her own. 

Irma would try to be there too, even though she had Howie in her life now. He liked the turtles too. He would be another role model for the twins, a musician. There was some recent happy news from the two of them. They announced that they had gotten engaged.

Zack would surely be there for the turtles, if he knew about the babies. Zack’s brother, Walt, was the sixth turtle, and he would undoubtedly offer his support. Even the Neutrinos, should they ever be able to get out of Dimension X, would probably want to help out. Although, it had been months since the turtles had last heard from Zack or the Neutrinos. 

Casey Jones might be supportive as well, but he was just too crazy to be around infants for very long. He wasn’t the most gentle of men. In fact, he liked to destroy stuff. He enjoyed his wild life as a vigilante, and probably wasn’t the best choice to have around children.

And there was also Mona Lisa, Raphael’s lizard girlfriend. Raph hadn’t told her about the situation yet. He sometimes went to spend time with her when the others weren’t wanting to be around him. She thought he was funny and sweet. He thought the same of her. She and Donatello shared a common love of science, and they got along really well. 

The turtles knew that they would have to be careful in what they did from now on, beginning with protecting Donatello while he was carrying the twins. They would have to be picky about who they would let be introduced to the lair and the babies. When they went out, they would have to be selective of who would stay behind to babysit. They couldn’t take the babies out into the public for their own safety, and they didn’t want the city to know about them either. Who knows what other scientists would want them for? Floyd Row was still an ever-present threat. The turtles wouldn’t let him have a chance at getting his hands on Don or his twins.   
………………

Everyone knew by now that the twins would have to be born via c-section. Even so, there was still a good reason for Donatello to learn some new breathing exercises. 

April and Jane talked about some breathing techniques for Donatello that could help to keep him calm if he actually went into labor. Mindful breathing would also be useful as the pregnancy progressed. As the twins got bigger, they would be putting more and more pressure on Don’s lungs. 

April got a tape on Lamaze teachings for Donatello and invited him over to her place. She knew that he might be embarrassed, and this way, he wouldn’t have to worry about his brothers watching him. 

There was much to learn from the tape, though it did talk about different positions the mother could be comfortable in giving birth. Don knew that he didn’t need those positions, but the breathing exercises were key to staying calmer during the more stressful moments. 

Splinter had his students practice breathing techniques at times, but with more weight on his front now, Donny needed to make some adjustments. Over the next few months, he would only get bigger, so he knew that it would be best to learn now, while it was still easy to move around.


	9. Chapter 9

One night, Donatello was in his lab working on a toy for his babies. It was two in the morning, but he had been unable to fall asleep. He was usually a stomach sleeper, but he was 17 weeks along now. Since his belly had begun to expand, he couldn’t do it anymore. His back had started to hurt a little bit too. 

Don sat back in his chair, taking a break to ease his back pain. He sat there quietly for a few minutes. He knew not to make too much noise when his family was trying to sleep. 

He had downed three glasses of milk earlier, along with some chocolate ice cream. He seemed to be craving a lot of high-calcium food these days. The twins almost always left him hungry for more. 

Just when he was starting to feel like going back to work, he felt something flutter in his stomach. He had never felt anything like this before. He had read about movements becoming more noticeable around this time in the pregnancy, and the books said that they could feel like butterflies. He waited a few more minutes, and it happened again. He put his fingers on his belly. The feeling was right under them. 

This was amazing! It brought a smile to his face that he was finally feeling his children’s first movements. As excited as he was, he decided to wait to tell the others until after they had gotten up. With ninja training in the morning, they all needed rest. 

Donatello was allowed to do some katas in his own time, though Splinter did encourage him to do them every day. It was important that Don stayed in shape and practiced defense. 

Around five, Donatello finally felt like going back to bed. He had gotten close to finishing the first toy. He planned to make another one for the other twin. 

While he laid in bed, he couldn’t believe he was now feeling the babies move. This was another milestone in the pregnancy. He soon fell asleep with a smile on his face. 

It was mid-December right now and quite cold up above. The turtles were spending more time underground. There was snow on the sidewalks, and ice that made it too slick out. Their normal cousins would be sleeping at the moment, but the brothers were no longer normal turtles. 

When Don woke up later on, it was after nine. His brothers and sensei had trained by now. They had let Don rest, knowing that he must have been tired. Splinter was more lenient on Don now because of his condition. 

Don got up and found that the others were all having some breakfast. He would train later on in the day. He got himself some cereal and milk. 

The others were all having pizza and sushi as usual. 

“Good morning, Donatello,” Splinter greeted. 

“Good morning, Sensei,” Don replied. 

“You were up late working in the lab,” Mike said. 

“I couldn’t sleep last night, but I also have some news that is great and just absolutely amazing!” Don bubbled. “I felt the babies move last night for the first time!” 

“WHAT?!” his brothers all said at once. 

Splinter wasn’t too surprised and remained silent.

“How do you know they were moving?” Leo asked. 

“I’ve read about what it feels like, and last night I felt something that I’ve never felt before. I’m sure it was them.” 

“That is great, Donatello,” Splinter said with a smile.

“Can we feel them?” Mike asked. 

“You won’t be able to feel them right now. They’re still very tiny, and I can barely feel them myself,” Don explained. “Maybe later on.” 

Mike would look forward to it.   
……………

On the next appointment, Don’s brothers wanted to take him to Jane’s clinic so that they could see the twins too. Sure, they had seen the other sonograms, but they wanted to see them for real on the screen. They wanted to see if they would move and to hear their heartbeats. 

As Donatello laid on the table, Jane moved the wand around on his sides and plastron. It was easier to get better views through his skin than his shell. 

Leo, Raph, and Mike were in awe at seeing the baby turtles on the screen. Jane pointed out all their bones and limbs, as well as their shells and tails. It was incredible that all this development was going on inside their brother’s body. Then they heard the heartbeats. The twins were also moving on the screen. 

“The heartbeats sound a little fast. Is that normal?” Leo asked. 

“Perfectly normal,” Jane replied. “Everything looks fine, Donatello,” she said as she turned the machine off and gave him a towel to clean his belly and sides. 

“They look so big on the computer and yet, they’re still so small,” Raph noticed. 

“A few more months,” Don said. 

“What about his plastron, Jane? How is his plastron able to bend as the twins get bigger?” Leo wondered. 

“That’s hard to say. But it’s not doing any harm. The skin is stretching just fine, and it’s just going with the curve of the skin,” she said. 

“Is the surgery to have them going to be through the sides or the plastron?” Raph asked. 

“The way the sides look, I might be able to go through there to get them. The incisions would heal faster too if I can go through the sides. We’ll plan it that way for now. I won’t go through the plastron unless it becomes necessary at the last minute,” Jane said. 

Donatello felt a bit of relief at that. He really didn’t want to be cut through the plastron. He knew it would take the longest to heal from that. It could take six months to even a year. That was just too long. He wanted the shortest recovery time possible. 

“So, when are you going up to the farmhouse that April mentioned?” Jane asked. 

“Probably in February,” Leo answered. “We’ll get the place ready in time for the birth, and keep Donatello safe from all the bad things that keep happening here in the city.” 

“Take care until then. It’s going to snow tonight and tomorrow,” Jane warned. 

“We will,” Mike promised. 

The turtles left the clinic, wearing their warmer disguises. It was too cold to go out without them. Donatello had a newly printed sonogram to show Splinter and anyone else who wanted to see it. 

Master Splinter was glad to see how far along his grandchildren were. They were becoming more like their father and uncles all the time. 

They all began the duty of thinking of names for the twins. That would be the first big decision that would affect their lives. Meanings of names could reflect the personality, so Donatello wanted to make sure he chose names carefully. Sure, the others were helping to come up with names, but when it came down to it, he was their father, and he would name them.   
…………….

Christmas rolled around, and this year it was much more than a holiday for Donatello. Everything was different for him now that he was a soon-to-be father. 

The turtles invited Jane down to the lair, as well as Irma and Howie. Everyone exchanged gifts and danced for the fun of it. They had a nice big dinner consisting of turkey, mashed potatoes, and some fruits and vegetables. Leo didn’t touch that part as he wasn’t crazy for vegetables. There was some cake for dessert. 

There were some gifts for the twins too: new bedding for their cradles, and the toys that Donatello had made. There were no clothes, as no one knew how big the twins would be at first.  

It was a really great and fun Christmas. Everyone was so happy. 

……………..

Donatello was trying to work on as many projects as he could that were important to the lair’s safety and his family’s. There would be some that he wouldn’t have a chance to get to once the twins came. 

When it was super cold and snowy topside, the turtles stayed down in the lair. It was only when roads and sidewalks were cleaned up that they ventured up at all. 

Don preferred doing the Lamaze at April’s. It was a special ‘girl’ time. Even though his family was supporting him, there was just only so much that the guys could understand. April may have never been pregnant before, but there were just more things she understood about how Don was feeling and what he was going through. 

Jane had started coming over to April’s apartment to help out with Donatello. One day, Jane asked Don how he planned to decorate the nursery. 

“I just figured it would stay the same as it’s always been,” Don explained. 

 

“You need to come up with something more interesting for them. Babies need a lot of special things to keep their minds stimulated: colors, patterns, toys, books,” Jane pointed out. 

“I know. I just haven’t gotten around to getting anything yet,” Don replied. “I don’t really have much money, so I’m trying to make whatever I can.”

“Surprising him might be better. He could stand some cheering up. His brothers should be in on it too,” Jane said. 

After Don left, Jane brought up the idea to April to throw the pregnant turtle a baby shower before they left for the farmhouse. 

“That’s a good idea, Jane,” April praised. “Should we tell him or surprise him?” 

 

“I’m sure they’ll be happy to help out. They love those babies too. I know baby showers are usually a woman thing, but I’ll ask the guys if they want to be here for it,” April said. 

“Good idea. Men really do think it’s a woman thing only, but given that there is only a small number of our friends, the guys could make the party the more the merrier.” Jane said.  

April dialed Leonardo’s turtle com a few hours after Don had gone home. Leo was cleaning one of his swords when his phone went off.  

“Hi, April. What’s up?” he greeted. 

“Donatello isn’t around, is he?” she asked.

“He’s asleep. Why?” 

“Jane and I were talking, and we were wanting to throw a baby shower for him,” April said.

“A baby shower?” Leo questioned. 

“It’s where friends and family of the pregnant mother give gifts for the babies, have snacks, play games, and so on. You guys are welcome to be there. Even though it is typically a woman thing, men are welcome too,” April explained. “Donatello is going to need a lot of supplies for his little ones.” 

“True. I would have to discuss it with the others,” Leo said. 

April smiled happily. “Don’t tell Donatello. We want it to be a surprise.” 

“I get it. Thanks, April. It does sound like a fun idea.” 

“Donatello seems a little down lately,” April said. “We just thought a little surprise might cheer him up.”

“Sounds like a good idea. Since he’s asleep now, we’ve got some time to talk about it. I’ll get back to you,” Leo said before hanging up. 

While Donny was sleeping, Leo called Raph, Mike, and Splinter into the dojo and talked to them. 

Leo spoke in a low voice. “I asked you all back here to talk about something important while Donatello is asleep.” 

“Maybe he’s secretly listening right now,” Raphael joked. 

“Very funny. Anyway, April asked if we wanted to help throw Donatello a baby shower,” Leo said. 

“What’s that, dude?” Mike asked. 

“She said it’s where friends give gifts to expectant parents. Donatello is going to need plenty of supplies to help take care of the twins. Are you all in?” Leo asked. He knew Donny didn’t want to be thought of as a female, but he was the expectant parent. 

“You are right, Leonardo. I would be happy to be there,” Splinter said.

“I’d love to get the little dudes something!” Mike said a little too loudly. The others immediately shushed him. “Sorry,” he apologized. 

“We want it to be a surprise,” Leo scolded. 

“I wouldn’t know what to get him,” Raph said. 

“Think, Raphael. What do babies need? Food, diapers, toys, books, blankets. Things like that,” Leo said. 

“Plus clothes for disguises, or maybe even a stroller,” Mike added. 

“There is much to consider. When is this baby shower scheduled?” Splinter asked. 

“We don’t know yet. I just talked to April and said I would get back to her after we all talked it over. So, are we all in agreement to throw one for him?” Leo asked. 

“Yes,” they all answered quietly.

When Leo called April back, he said they were all agreeable to it. 

“How long do you think before it happens?” Leo asked. 

“Give it a few weeks first, so you all can decide on what to get him,” April replied. 

“I hope he enjoys it,” Mike said. 

“This is one thing to do to help support Donatello in this time of need,” Splinter said.

April invited Irma too. She said she would see what was going on at the time and arrange what she could. Or she could just buy something and give it to April if she had to be at work. Irma knew she needed to be there for Donatello. Howie was also welcome to attend and do something too if he wanted. He liked the turtles too, after all.


	10. Chapter 10

Over the next few weeks, Donatello worked in his lab as much as possible. All of his pre-baby projects were keeping him busy. When he did take breaks to hang out with the others, they all became standoffish and said they had other things to do. They suggested that he do his exercises, or relax and watch TV, then they left him all alone. 

Donatello began to feel sad and left out. He had no idea what his family was planning for him. They were just trying to keep him from finding out about the baby shower. They were going topside to get him the gifts for the party and leaving them with April. She kept the stash hidden in her bedroom closet. 

The twins were keeping Don awake at night. He had constant cravings and a little heartburn after eating. His back hurt even more now, and his ankles had swelled up. He was now at his 22nd week, and his aches and pains, combined with feeling left out were making him cranky. He tried to rest and not stress himself too much. 

Don was still allowed to go topside, but he never did so alone. He was still worried about Floyd watching him, and he couldn't afford any more trouble. His stomach showed clearly that he was pregnant now. He would be an easy target with his bigger stomach, and soon he wouldn’t even be able to make a quick escape through a manhole anymore. 

Mike had been asking Don if he felt the babies move. 

“I feel them a lot more now. It’s more prominent than when I first started to feel them.” Don laughed. “They just keep on having parties inside me when it’s time to get some sleep.” 

Then, Don’s mood changed. He wondered why Mike was asking about this when he had practically run out the door earlier that day after Don had tried to join him for breakfast. 

“Can I feel them?” Mike asked. “You said I could.” 

“That was before you started leaving me out of everything!” Don snapped at him angrily. It was another one of his mood swings.  

“Sorry, dude. I wasn’t trying to upset you.” Mike held his hands up. He knew he was currently sworn to secrecy, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t hang out with Donatello. 

“Look, Donatello, I’ll make you your favorite food to make it up to you. How’s that sound?” Mike suggested. 

“It still doesn’t atone for all the lying to me and hiding from me!” Don said. He had angry tears in his eyes.  

“We’re not trying to leave you out of anything. Let’s just say we’re doing something for you,” Mike hinted. 

Don’s expression softened. “What?” 

“It’s a surprise.” Mike had almost let it slip. He really didn’t like seeing Don so upset, and he wasn’t the best at keeping secrets.

“It’s not my birthday,” Don said. 

“Nope. Just wait and see. It’ll be soon, I promise,” Mike said. 

Well, at least Don knew that his brothers had some sort of reason for treating him this way. But what surprise could they be planning for him?   
…………….

As Donatello progressed further into his pregnancy, he grew increasingly concerned about the health of his babies after they were born. The sewers would not be the best place for them to live, but what other options did they have? 

Don called his family together for a meeting. 

“Everyone, as we all know we have lived in these sewers all our lives, but with the twins on the way, it won’t be the healthiest place for them. I want to get this place as clean as possible to make it right for them. I’m also making some barrier doors to the lair as one of my last projects before we leave for April’s farmhouse,” Don explained. 

“That is a good idea, Donatello,” Splinter agreed. He made sure that a thorough cleaning was done every spring, but it had been a long time since then. 

“With the new doors, we can be sure that no sewage will leak in while we are gone,” Don said. 

“And, is it working to keep the sewage out so far?” Leo asked. 

“Yes,” Don assured. “My tests have been going really well.”

“Why didn’t you do that years ago?” Raph asked. “It would have saved us from Shredder’s many attacks too.” 

“Back then, we weren’t expecting young children to live with us anytime soon,” Don replied. “I want this place clean, and I mean, REALLY clean for the twins.” 

The others weren’t real thrilled to do all that cleaning, but they would do it for the sake of the twins. 

Donatello knew that this was the ‘nesting instinct’ setting in. He just wanted things perfect, so his babies could live happily down here with them. When they arrived at the farmhouse, they would need to clean that up too. 

Leonardo started picking up trash. Michelangelo got some soapy water and scrub brushes and began scrubbing the floors. Raphael cleaned the cobwebs and dust bunnies off the upper pipes. Donatello set about washing the clothes and bedding. He wanted everything spotless. 

Don was already halfway through his pregnancy. His stomach was quite round by now, but it wasn’t getting in his way much at all. He was really careful to keep it out of the way while cleaning. 

Splinter left his sons to do the work, but he would gladly help out when needed, such as if Donatello needed help picking up something. His brothers could help him too. 

Splinter usually had to tell his students when it was time to clean, and he usually had to nag them for days. It was nice to see Donatello be the one to take charge, for the sake of his twins.   
……………..

It was the middle of January and the turtles were finally ready for Donatello’s baby shower. The city had been enjoying some unusually warm weather, and the timing was perfect. It was wonderful weather to drive in, or even to take a walk. 

Don still had no idea what the surprise was, but he did know that something was coming. Mike wouldn’t tell him when it was. He had told the others that he had let Don know to expect a surprise, and they were mad at him for giving away hints.

“I didn’t tell him what it was,” Mike defended. “He just kind of forced it out of me when he made me feel guilty about leaving him out of everything.”

Since April made her own hours now, the baby shower was set to be at her place. All the gifts were there anyway. 

It was on a Saturday afternoon. A table full of healthy snacks and pizza was laid out for the guys. 

Irma had the afternoon off after working all morning. She planned to come too. Howie was busy working on a new song, but he wished the best for the turtles and the new babies. 

The baby shower was going to be at three. Irma came up to April’s apartment to help get everything ready. Jane also came over to give her a hand wrapping gifts.

Since they didn’t know what genders the twins were, none of them had wanted to get anything that signaled either boys or girls. They stuck mostly to neutrals. 

April called Leo and said the shower was ready. 

“Thanks, April. We’ll be over as soon as possible,” Leo said. 

Leo went to get the others and told them the party was ready to go. Now they just needed to pry Don away from working on the barrier doors in the back of his lab. They went to the lab to get him. 

“Hey, Donatello, how about you take a break from working on that barrier for some lunch?” Mike asked. 

“I’m real busy right now, guys,” Don said. 

“We’re having lunch at April’s today, to enjoy the warm weather while it’s here,” Leo said. “It won’t hurt for you to take a break for a little while.” 

Donatello had a welder in his hands at the moment. He sighed. He felt his stomach growl and a baby kicked him in the side. It might have been saying it was hungry too. 

“Alright, but I need to get back to this soon,” Don said, getting up from leaning over and welding the door into place. He took a minute to stretch out his sore back. 

His brothers smiled. He was going to be in for such a surprise. 

They didn’t wear disguises this time since the weather was warmer. Don followed his family to the Turtle Van, where Splinter was waiting for them. They could have walked, but the guys were starting to worry that Don’s stomach might not fit through some of the smaller manholes. 

When they got to the building, they took the elevator up to April’s apartment. Mike knocked on the door. 

April heard it, meaning they were here with the guest of honor. Irma and Jane got ready while April went to answer her door. 

“Hi guys, come on in,” she greeted with a smile. 

Mike stepped in first, with Don close behind him. The moment he stepped in, everyone yelled “Surprise!” 

Donatello was so startled, he held his chest and fell back into Raph and Leo’s arms. 

“Whoa! Warn me next time,” Don requested. 

“Why would we do that when there is only going to be one this time?” Raph said happily. He had been hoping for this reaction. To him, it was all too funny. 

Leo and Raph got Don back on his feet. Don went to check out what was going on. He saw a banner hung up on the wall. ‘Baby Shower’ was written in big purple letters. 

“A baby shower?” Don asked. 

“Yes. Every parent-to-be needs goodies for their children,” Jane said, coming up to give him a hug. 

At first, Don was stunned that she did that. Jane had never hugged him before, but he knew that she was happy for him. He hugged her back. 

“Congratulations, Donatello!” Irma bubbled. 

“Thanks, Irma,” Don said. 

April came up and hugged him. “How about some lunch first?” she suggested. 

When she let go, Don asked, “So, this was the surprise?” 

“Yes. Since you haven’t gotten anything for the twins yet, we wanted to help you out. April came up with the idea for the shower, and we agreed with her. We wanted to give you a special day and buy some gifts for the twins,” Leo explained. 

“Thanks, guys. It looks really nice,” Don said, his eyes welling with tears of happiness. 

“Let’s get started on lunch. I’m starving!” Mike said. 

They all giggled as Mike’s stomach growled out loud. His was always the loudest. 

Donatello was allowed to go first, since it was his party. He got a plateful of food; pizza, fruits, veggies, a few candies. It was a special occasion, which called for pigging out. Don didn’t always have the appetite of Mike, but he was eating for three. At this stage in the pregnancy, it seemed like the twins were just sucking the food right out of him, leaving barely anything for Don himself. He was hungry almost all the time. 

The others got their food and chowed down. Splinter usually ate sushi, but he could eat other foods too when he had to. 

After eating, April handed out the gifts. There were some baby blankets, clothes, books, tapes, and a radio, monitors, bedding, a rocking chair, a changing table, carrying packs; all things that Don would need to take proper care of two babies. 

“This is all so wonderful. Thanks you, guys,” Don sobbed happily. 

“What’s wrong, Donatello?” Mike asked. 

“I’m just so happy you did this for me,” Don wept. 

“It’s his hormones acting up. You did something nice to make him happy,” Jane explained. “He can’t help himself if he gets emotional like this. It’s nothing to worry about.” 

“We have wondered about it for some time,” Raph said. “He can be watching a movie and just burst into tears out of nowhere. He never used to be like that.” 

“Things have changed for the moment, Raphael. It’s going to be like this even after the twins are born. Just be careful of what you say and do around him. Pregnant parents need a lot of support,” Jane advised. 

The baby shower had been a success. Donatello was very happy and had received most of the things he needed to finish up the babies’ room down in the lair. He planned to take much of it with him to the farmhouse when the time came next month. 

It was good they had brought the Turtle Van so they could take all the gifts home after the party ended. They also watched a movie before going home. 

Don called April later that afternoon. “Thanks again for coming up with the baby shower idea. It meant a lot to me.”

“I was glad to do it, Donatello,” April said. “Take care. I can’t wait to see how you get the rest of the room set up for the twins.” 

“Soon, April,” Don promised. 

For now, the gifts were set out in the nursery. Everyone would help to set it up later on. Right now, it was time for a nap.   
…………….

After getting some rest, the turtles all set about getting the nursery room set up for the twins. It was nice to see everything come together. It had seemed so empty with only the handmade cradles that Don had so lovingly crafted. Donny left the heavy lifting to his brothers. His center of balance was so off-kilter these days that even the slightest misstep could make him fall over. 

When the room was finished, Donatello felt satisfied. It looked like a real nursery. He admired it for a while, then he went back to work finishing up the barrier doors. 

There were just a few short weeks left before they were going to leave for the farmhouse. Until now, they had only heard about it, but soon it would be their home away from home. 


	11. Chapter 11

Donatello still wanted to go out as much as possible while he could, before the weight of the twins kept him at home all the time. He was already noticing them more and more. 

In the middle of his 23rd week, Donatello took the van to the zoo clinic for his next appointment by himself. He was glad to see his twins were doing well. 

As he laid on the bed, he asked, “Can you tell what they are?”

“I can try, but don’t be disappointed if I can’t tell,” Jane replied. 

Don nodded. He turned his head toward the screen as Jane was moving the wand on his side. It was easier to see them through his skin than his plastron. 

Jane showed Donatello that all the body parts were developing just fine. Then she got to the tail. The baby’s legs kept getting in the way. Donny could feel it moving too. 

“I’m sorry, Donatello. Not with this one,” Jane said. “We may have to wait for the birth.” 

“I wish it was simpler,” Don mourned. 

“I want to give you the good news, but I just can’t,” Jane sympathized. 

Jane examined the other baby, and it was also hard to see. She played the heartbeats, which cheered Donatello up. 

“It’s amazing how far you’ve come in this situation, and you seem to be taking it so well,” Jane complimented. 

“I’m just glad that I have the support of my family and friends for this. I know this goes against the laws of nature, but I just feel like I’m ready for parenthood, despite how they were conceived,” Don said. 

“They’ll be here before you know it,” Jane said as she gave him a towel to clean the gel off from his sides. 

Donatello had given up on wearing a belt at this stage in his pregnancy. His belly just kept expanding and loosening it had been a problem. “So, how much longer do you think I’ll be carrying them?” he asked. 

“I haven't changed my opinion since the last time we spoke. You could go into your eighth or even ninth month. You are half human after all,” Jane said. “How are you feeling?” 

“I get heartburn sometimes, constant cravings, back pains, swollen ankles. But, I still feel good enough that I can be up and about doing things around the lair like I normally do,” Don replied. “I do take naps as needed because the twins keep me up a lot with their partying inside me.” He rubbed his belly. 

Jane giggled. “That’s to be expected. In a way, you are a lucky turtle, Donatello. Your distant cousins never get to feel their babies move.” 

“I know. But, they don’t have to rely on having a c-section either.” Don really wasn’t looking forward to surgery. 

“Some captive turtles do, if an egg becomes too big to pass normally,” Jane told him. 

Don cringed. He didn’t even want to imagine what that felt like. “Well, thanks for checking them out. We’ll let you know soon when we’re leaving.” He got off the bed and put his disguise on. 

“You’re welcome. Be careful,” Jane advised. 

Jane had applied for a leave of absence in a couple of months so that she would be able to look after Donatello up at the farmhouse. 

As Donatello was driving home, two big robots suddenly stepped in front of the van. They seemingly came out of nowhere, and when Don saw them, his eyes widened. He instinctively swerved the van off of the road. “Whoooooa!” he yelled as it finally came to a stop just short of a tree. 

The robots came over and started banging the van up and down. Don knew this wasn’t good. He was by himself and had no help. He doubted that he could take down these huge aggressive robots when he was pregnant and all alone. He climbed into the back and grabbed a bo off the wall, then jumped out of the tailgate. 

“You mess with my wheels, you mess with me!” Don said seriously. He had his bo at the ready, and was prepared to defend his stomach if needed. 

One robot came forward and tried to grab him. Don deflected the blows with his bo, and then he scrambled up one of its arms and smashed the robot’s head off. Don was pretty pleased with himself. Not too bad for a heavily pregnant turtle. 

Unfortunately for Don, the second robot was faster than its companion. Don tried his best to fend it off, but his bo snapped in half. Don threw one jagged fragment at the robot’s head like a javelin, then started to run back to the van. The robot managed to block him, and Donatello skidded to a halt. 

The robot lassoed the turtle with some ropes that it ejected from its arms. Donatello tried to slip out of them, but his arms were pinned against his sides, and the weight of his belly almost made him lose his balance. The split second of hesitation allowed the robot to tangle Don up even more. The ropes had now ensnared him from his chest to his feet. 

The robot began to pull Donatello in by the ropes. Don could feel them constricting around him, especially around his stomach, which was currently the widest part of him. 

“Oh, let me go!” Donatello begged in a squeezed tone of voice. He felt like he couldn’t pull enough air into his lungs, although he wasn’t sure if it was the tightness of the ropes or panic setting in. 

The robot carried Don to a locked warehouse in the woods next to the zoo. Although he was close to passing out from lack of oxygen, Don managed to keep his eyes open. He wanted to know where he was being taken, in the hopes of getting a message to his family.

The robot took Don in through a garage-like door, which then slid down behind them. Once inside, the robot stopped in its tracks and dropped Donatello onto the floor. 

“OH!” Don cried out, completely unable to control the fall in the tangle of ropes. He landed a bit on his left side. The pavement connected with his stomach, making the weight of the baby there slam into his internal organs and really knocking the wind out of him. 

Donatello was very worried about his babies. His eyes were tightly closed as he tried to remain calm and breathe. 

“Nice of you to be joining me, Turtle. I was hoping for all four again, but one will do just fine for the moment,” a soft voice spoke. 

Don remembered that voice. He opened his eyes. It had been a long time since he had last seen the old man that was now standing in front of him.

“You!” Don managed to say despite being completely winded. 

“Yes. And I remember you, purple turtle.” It was Dr. Leseau! He had tried to steal Don’s intelligence with a mutating laser a few years back. 

“What do you… want?” Don demanded to know. 

“Why, revenge of course!” Leseau said evilly. “And to get the intelligence from a ninja turtle!” 

Don’s eyes widened. This maniac hadn’t given up on that? He had to be crazy. Donatello squirmed harder in the ropes. 

“Get him onto the table!” Leseau ordered his robot. “And cut those ropes off.” 

The robot cut the ropes off first. Donatello tried to get up, but he was too slow. The robot grabbed him and carried him over to a table. It lifted him up and put him down onto his back. His belly was really sticking out, making his condition painfully obvious. 

Leseau had spent the last four years in prison and was recently released. He had dreamed of getting revenge on the turtles. He needed their intelligence to create that one perfect animal he had dreamed of for a long time. 

Donatello tried getting his turtle com out of his left pocket, but was forced to drop it when his hand was grabbed and put into a shackle. The com fell under the table and opened up, giving off its emergency signal to the others. It was silent to the human. 

Leseau now came over to see his test subject. “I am so happy to have you back here. I never got to finish what I started, and I do so hate when my projects remain unfinished,” he taunted. Leseau then noticed that something was different about the turtle. 

“I see you have gotten a lot fatter since our last encounter,” the mad scientist snickered.

Donatello wasn’t about to tell him why that was. His stomach still hurt from a few minutes ago, and the babies were moving around anxiously inside him. 

The man came over and pulled Donatello’s sweater up, revealing his belly. 

“I can’t believe that a ninja turtle would allow himself to get so fat,” Leseau teased. 

Don glared at him. He wasn’t even going to answer that.   
……………

At the lair, Raphael was watching TV when his turtle com started beeping. Leo was in the dojo with Splinter, doing exercises. Mike was cooking pizza, as usual. 

Raph took out his turtle com to see who was calling and there was a static signal, but a beeping coming from it. It had to be Donatello! 

“Guys!” Raph called out. 

The others heard him and came running. “What is it?” Leo demanded. 

“I think Donatello’s in trouble.” Raph held out his turtle com. It was beeping furiously, and it only did that when one of them was in trouble and a com’s emergency signal was activated.

“Let’s go, Turtles! Donatello won’t last long in his condition,” Leo ordered. 

“I hope he’s alright,” Mike worried. 

“We’ll make sure he is,” Leo promised. 

Splinter emerged from the dojo. “I am coming with you this time.” 

Don had the turtle van, so Leo called up April and said they would meet her on the surface. April said that she would pick them up and then they would follow Don’s emergency signal.  
…………….

“Please don’t do this,” Don pleaded. 

Leseau activated a machine. It looked like the same one that he had tried to use on Donatello last time. 

“I am going to get my perfect animal. I am just getting my turtle intelligence first before anything else,” Leseau answered. 

Donatello squirmed. His babies were beginning to pick up on his stress. He could feel them kicking him furiously from within. “I wish my brothers were here,” he said to himself. “I have to get out of here.” He struggled some more.

“Don’t think you are getting away from me this time,” Leseau threatened. “I will have your intelligence for my perfect animal, one way or another.” 

“There is no such thing as the perfect animal. They all have their own smarts, and their own unique methods for survival,” Don preached. 

“But none compare to you. You turtles are practically human,” Leseau said, greedily.

Don winced, as his babies continued to squirm. “Stop moving!” he pleaded in a low voice. There was a powerful kick to his stomach. “Ow!”

That didn’t go unnoticed by the man in front of him. “What is going on with you?” he demanded. 

Donny gave an innocent grin. “Nothing.” 

“Is there something that I should know?” Leseau badgered.

Donatello shook his head. “No, nothing.” 

Leseau looked down at the turtle’s tense body. The roundness of the stomach was something else to him. There was something strange about it that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. “Something about that belly fat is very odd, and you are not as calm as once before. There is something you are hiding,” Leseau observed. 

“You don’t have any right to do this to me!” Don snapped at him. “Let me go!” 

“Not until I get what I want.” 

Then an alarm went off on the security system. “Ug, interruptions again!” Leseau turned to go see what it was. 

When he turned the TV on, he saw the other three turtles and a …rat? He also recognized April O’Neil from the old six o’clock news. 

“I see your friends have come for you. They won’t be getting you out so easily this time,” Leseau announced confidently. 

Donatello hoped the others could get him out of this before his brain was fried and he and his twins were lost to them. 

Leseau called an army of robots forth.   
…………….

The others had known that Donny was going to the zoo for an exam and the first thing they had done was call Jane. She said that she had already seen Donatello, and that he told her that he was going home after he left. That was a half hour ago, and she didn’t know where he was now. The turtles headed for the zoo, and found the turtle van a short distance from the entrance. 

The turtles and Splinter were now in the van, following Donatello’s emergency signal. April was following them in her own car. The van pulled up outside the warehouse where the signal was coming from. Splinter and the turtles jumped out of the van and April ran from her car. They were going to get their genius back before something happened to him!

“Turtle Power!” Leo, Raph, and Mike all jumped together with their weapons drawn and broke down some wooden doors. Splinter and April followed in after them. 

“Guys! Help me!” Don called out. 

“You will not stop me this time, you wretched reptiles!” Leseau threatened. “Or you will lose your friend here!” 

To the other three, this man seemed familiar. 

“Robots, destroy the turtles!” Leseau ordered. The army of robots came out and attacked the others. 

Leonardo, Raphael, and Michelangelo took on the robots while Splinter snuck around behind them with April. 

Splinter crept up behind Leseau. “Get away from my student!” he demanded. 

“Oh, a giant rat? Where did you come from?” 

“Get away from him!” Splinter said again. He looked angry and was ready to defend Donatello.

“Sensei, help!” Don cried out. 

That was enough to provoke a verbal attack from Splinter in his familiar Japanese. Everyone knew that Splinter meant business when he slipped into Japanese. Before long, the verbal attack turned physical. It didn’t take much for Splinter to knock the old man unconscious. 

April came forward once Leseau was moved away from Don. She was so worried about her friend. “Let’s get you out of here. Did he hurt you?” 

“He was about to. You guys showed up just in time,” Don thankfully replied. 

April helped Don to sit up slowly. The turtle still felt a little short of breath. He rubbed his sore belly. “The twins were kicking up a high storm inside me.” 

Splinter approached his student. “We should leave now, while your kidnapper is still unconscious.” 

The other turtles had finished fighting and destroying Leseau’s army of robots. 

“My turtle com rolled under the table,” Don said. 

“I’ll get it,” April offered. She got down and found it. “This is the only reason we were able to find you so easily.” 

“Thank goodness for that,” Leo said, as he approached them. “Who is this guy?” 

“Dr. Leseau,” Don replied. “He tried to get our intelligence from me a few years back. He’s the maniac who stole animals from the zoo and mixed their genes up.” 

Leo nodded. “I remember him now.”

“Pete also helped us defeat him,” Mike recalled. 

“I’ll call the police while you guys get Donatello out of here,” April said. 

Donatello was allowed to walk out on his own after he assured his family he was fine. The mutants got in the turtle van and drove back to the lair while April called the police on Dr. Leseau. He was taken back into custody. 

When they got home, there was a discussion. 

“This can’t go on anymore, Donatello. Not while you’re in this condition,” Leo began. 

“I know. But I don’t want to be stuck down here all the time,” Don said. 

“This was the last straw. Now there’s someone else who wants to do you harm. Did he find out about the twins?” Leo asked. 

“No, but he might have found out about them if you hadn’t come along when you did.” 

“For your safety, and the twins’ safety, we should head up to the farmhouse a lot sooner. We just can’t allow this to happen again while you are pregnant and vulnerable,” Leo stated. 

“I think you are right, Leonardo,” Splinter agreed. 

“So, how soon are we going?” Mike asked. 

“As soon as April decides she can take us,” Leo said. “Let’s hope it’s soon.”

April came down to the Lair after ensuring that Leseau was headed back to jail. 

“How are you doing, Donatello?” April asked. Her friends were all sitting in the living room. 

Don was sitting by himself in the chair. He had his feet up and his hands on his belly. Don’s smile had a hint of sadness to it. “I’m fine. Just a little shaken from what happened.”

“April, how soon can we go up to the farmhouse? After what happened today, we think it’s better if we go up as soon as possible. We can’t have anymore attacks on Donatello while he’s still pregnant,” Leo said. 

“I have a deadline on Friday. We can go up this weekend,” April replied. 

They all sat down and talked some more about what was going to happen, when they would leave and such. Then, they had some dinner and watched TV. Don tried to relax and ease his nerves. It was hard for any of them to stop thinking about what might have happened. As a distraction, Donatello went to his lab to start packing. At least he was out of his winter clothes now. 

Waiting to go until the weekend would also give the family some time to pack up what they wanted or needed to go to the farmhouse. It was a little early, but it was just for Don’s own good. The next day, Donatello and his brothers started repairing and upgrading systems on the Turtle Van. They wanted to make sure that the van was in working order for the trip upstate to the farmhouse. The robots had done a number on it, and there had been some stuttering lately with the engine. 

Raphael did the work underneath the van. Don couldn’t do it for obvious reasons. Leo did some of the engine work. Don worked on the cameras, phone, and other systems inside the van. Mike wasn’t that much help other than handing tools out. 

Splinter relaxed and meditated while waiting for the trip to begin. He was letting his sons do the maintenance work. He wasn’t much into machines. 

Everyone already had a list of what they were going to bring with them, most of it being the babies’ things. April would help take some of the smaller items in her car. The van would take the bigger stuff that needed to go. 

Donatello was already thinking about what he would need to do to get the farmhouse ready for the twins. But first, he had to see the house and then make those decisions.


	12. Chapter 12

During the day on Friday, everyone packed as many large items as they could into the van. The smaller stuff would go into April’s car in the morning when she dropped by. It was good they were going tomorrow because next week it was going to be getting super cold again. 

Saturday morning, everyone was excited about going northward. They made sure to take food with them that was perishable so that it wouldn’t rot and stink up the lair. 

April soon stopped by with some coolers to pack up the frozen food. She also took the small entertainment items. 

When everything was completely packed up, the mutants made sure all the electronics were turned off and unplugged. Donatello made sure that all the protective barriers were locked tight so that sewage leaks wouldn’t get into the lair while they were gone. They planned to be gone for a few months, and anything could happen during that time. 

Don’s brothers were welcome to come back and check on the city if they began to feel too restless, or needed something from the lair, or needed to pick up someone to visit them at the farm. But, Donny had to stay at the farmhouse. 

After everything was presumed shut off and locked up and ready to go, April led the way in her car out of the sewers with the Turtle van behind her. In a way, this would also be like another vacation, only still here in the USA.   
……………

It was a long, 4-hour drive upstate. There were plenty of stops along the way for food, drinks, and bathroom visits. The turtles were used to wearing disguises out in public. For Splinter, it was a rarity for him to go out in a disguise at all, but he had done it a few times. 

Donatello was the one that needed the most bathroom stops, as the twins were pressing on his bladder. His brothers were often annoyed when he kept on asking for another rest stop. 

After eating a good-sized meal along with his brothers, Donatello was feeling very full and the twins were moving about a lot. He kept on rubbing his belly. His bladder was feeling full again and he had just gone 25 minutes ago. 

“Leonardo, we need another stop,” Donny said. 

“Give it a rest already, Donatello. We went not long ago,” Raphael argued. 

Don shifted in his seat. “I can’t help it, Raphael. The twins are putting their weight on my bladder.”

Mike called April. “April, Donatello needs another stop.” 

“Again?” 

“Yes, sorry dudette.” 

April frowned. “I hope he can wait a little while longer. We’re going to be heading onto a freeway soon.” 

“I can just get out and go, April. But I need to go soon,” Don called from the back. 

“Alright. I’m just going to pull over on this gravel road up here,”  April decided. 

She did just that, and making sure no one was around, Donatello was allowed to go. When they got back to the vehicles, April said, “Until we get up to the farmhouse, you might want to start taking it easy on the drinks, Donatello.” 

“The babies are wanting the nutrition, it isn’t my fault,” Don defended. 

“I get that, but this is way too much stopping. I hope you can wait awhile. It’ll be another hour before we get there,” April said. 

“I’ll do what I can,” Don promised. 

Leo shook his head. “We’ll let you know, April.”

They all got back in the van and car and continued on the way. 

Thirty minutes later, Don needed to go again, and then again when they were just about to get there. He was ashamed and embarrassed, but it couldn’t be helped. 

They were all relieved to finally arrive at the house. Everyone hopped out of the vehicles, eager to explore their temporary new home. They were amazed by its huge size. It was big enough for all of them. 

It was a 2-story white house with a good-sized kitchen and dining room. There were four bedrooms upstairs and even a spare in the basement. There was a bathroom on each floor. It would be nice to have more than just one to share, particularly given how often Donatello needed to go. 

The whole house looked like it needed a good cleaning. When Splinter saw it, he said, “Before we bring our food and other things inside, we need to clean this place out. Donatello, can you make sure the refrigerator is up and running?” 

“Sure, Sensei,” Don said before going to the kitchen to get it started up.

“When was the last time this place had visitors, April?” Mike asked. 

“It’s been awhile. Aunt Aggie is busy on the road all the time and you know me,” April said. “I don’t have much other family.” 

“Let’s get started on cleaning, my students,” Splinter suggested. 

Don plugged in the refrigerator and watched as the light came on. He gagged a little bit when he saw how dirty it was in there. Don wanted to clean this house up just as much as Splinter did. 

April showed them where to get the cleaning supplies. There was a dusty old broom and a mop in the hall closet. The turtles had brought along their own cleaning wipes. 

Don got some wipes and began cleaning the fridge out first. He would decide later what room would become the new infirmary, because he was going to be having his babies here in a few months. 

Leo took to scrubbing the windows. Mike started sweeping the floors. Raph mopped the floors after Mike swept them. April cleaned the bathrooms. Splinter set about taking rugs outside and shaking them off and wiping counters off. 

Everything in the house needed to be cleaned and washed. There were some dishes and silverware there, and they would need cleaning as well. 

After the fridge was clean, April and Donny set about putting the food in it. It was a long day of cleaning and organizing, but thanks to some strong teamwork, the house was sparkling and shining by nightfall. 

As for bedroom choices, Donny, April, and Splinter each got their own. Leo, Raph, and Mike would share a room. Donatello needed a room to himself for some science work, and he would be taking care of his twins in there eventually. 

April was staying in her childhood room. Jane would be staying in her room as well when she came to stay with them awaiting the birth. 

Splinter liked to have his own room for his meditation and quiet time. If there would be a visitor, they could have the spare room in the basement, or the living room couch. 

The three turtles sharing a room brought in some bedding that they would use until they could get some real beds in here. They could build them, or try to find some at the local junkyard. April wasn’t too crazy about the junkyard idea. She preferred new beds in her family home. 

“Are we going to be expecting Aunt Aggie to be back anytime soon?” Leo asked. 

“I don’t know for sure, Leonardo,” April replied. 

Donatello was glad to be able to rest once the cleaning was over. His back was hurting and his feet were swollen again. He put the footrest up on the chair in the living room. 

“That feels better,” he sighed, as he finally sat down. 

“I bet it does after being on your feet all afternoon,” April said. “Now that the main cleaning is all over, you need to take it easy.” 

“I know. I’ll lay low tonight and work on the new infirmary tomorrow. The last room next to the dining room is going to be it since it has doors on both entrances to the room,” Donny decided. 

The others began bringing some of the stuff into the house to where they were going to stay. Other stuff could wait until tomorrow to be brought inside. 

Michelangelo made them all a good celebrity dinner that night. They had worked hard all day and were hungry and tired. 

When it came time for bed, it didn’t take much for everyone to be asleep when they climbed into their beds or sleeping spots. Don had to be in a bed. He was glad he had one. His body was so stressed from the day’s work. At least he could relax now. 

The next day, Don and his family brought his stuff in to get a new infirmary and lab set up. Jane would also have to bring some stuff up later, but for now, Donatello would do what he could to make it like a lab for himself. He was going to have a lab in the basement too. He just needed the most space for his stuff. 

There was a TV in the living room and a phone that was off the hook. It was hooked up again, so they could call people, or if their friends needed to reach them. 

There was so much that still needed to be done to make April’s old farmhouse a new, but temporary home.   
……………..

Donatello really got underway building the infirmary. He and his family didn’t want to make a four-hour-long drive back to the city when he was in labor, so it needed to be made right here. 

Even now at the end of his 23rd week, Don couldn’t be 100 percent sure if he would have the twins in his eighth or ninth month. It was better to be safe than sorry about this. There had been enough scares as it was. 

The others helped to carry in his machinery for the exams. Jane would likely bring some more too when she would visit. 

It was nice outside, but the next storm promised colder temperatures. Donatello set to work on a climate control system for the infirmary. While Don was busy doing that, Splinter and his three other students trained outside. 

The training was like it normally was at home in the sewers, but it was more enjoyable being able to do it outside in the warmer air for a change. Nevertheless, Splinter didn’t go easy on his sons at all. He kept up the same kind of sessions to keep them tough as ninjas. 

That afternoon, Don took a walk outside as a break from setting up the new infirmary. Afterward, he did some basic katas, but he had to stop when the weight of the twins became too much. 

When he came inside to go to the chair in the living room, he saw his brothers and April were eating pizza in front of the TV and Splinter was having some sushi.

“You hungry, Donatello?” Mike asked. 

“Not at the moment, Michelangelo. Thanks anyway,” Don said. He groaned as he lowered himself into the chair. 

“What’s wrong? You look worn out and you weren’t even out there very long,” Leo observed. 

“It’s just the weight of the twins. Master Splinter, I know I need to keep up with my katas, but with the weight of these two, they are putting so much stress on my back and hips now. I just don’t know how much longer I can keep it up.” Don expressed his worry. “I don’t want to stress them out or go into labor too early.” 

“I understand your concern, Donatello. Exercise is still good for you. Let’s just have you stay at taking walks for now until the doctor takes another look,” Splinter advised. 

“Thank you, Sensei,” Don said, a smile spreading on his face. 

Splinter nodded back in reply. He wanted Donatello to stay in shape and be able to defend himself, but there was still concern about setting labor off too early or losing his balance since he wasn’t meant to carry so much weight on his front side. 

Don raised his feet up to try to bring some swelling down in his ankles. Leo gave him some water to drink. 

He later took a hot bath and that was most refreshing and relaxing. April would do what she could to help him along, as she understood a little bit more of what he was going through with just being around other women who had been pregnant.   
…………….

The next day, April called up Jane and said that there had been an attack on Donatello and they had come up to the farmhouse early to avoid any more trouble from their enemies in New York. 

“Is he alright?” Jane asked in concern.

“Yes, he’s fine,” April replied. “He does have concerns about his katas, though. He’s wondering if he should still be doing them.”

“At how far along he is, Donatello needs to start taking it easy a lot more. Walking is fine, but he needs to slow down on the high-level ninja stuff,” Jane advised. “We still aren’t sure when he could be ready to have them, so better safe than sorry. And, thanks for letting me know that you have moved up there.” 

“You’re welcome,” April replied. “So when do you think you’ll be coming to stay with us?” 

“Around Donatello’s 30th week. I’ve told my boss and my associates, and they will make sure things are fine here at the zoo while I’m gone. It’s all arranged,” Jane explained. 

“That’s good.” 

“So how are the others treating Donatello?” Jane asked. 

“They are as supportive as ever. There’s still much they don’t understand, like how moody he can be. He also has cravings for some of the weirdest things. Michelangelo likes crazy pizza toppings, so you’d think that everyone would be used to weird food. But some of Don’s cravings put even Michelangelo to shame.” April gave a little giggle. “He was dipping beef jerky into chocolate frosting on the drive up here.”

“It’s hard to understand the cravings pregnant people get sometimes,” Jane agreed. 

“I was just wondering what are the babies going to eat when they’re born - baby food or formula?” 

“It’s hard to say for certain, April. Being reptiles, they may want baby food, but given that they are half human, we can try formula too.” 

“I’m sure there’s a baby store in town where I can find what I need,” April said. 

“How big is the town?” Jane asked. 

“Not as big as New York,” April answered. “It’s big enough though, with about 200 people or so. It has a grocery store and a gas station. It’s good enough for what the guys need right now - some rest and relaxation away from the city for a while.”

“Yeah, it’ll be good for Donatello especially to be out of New York. Less stress of worrying about his family and less stress from worrying about being taken by maniacs,” Jane replied. 

“I can agree there. When are you wanting to examine him again? I can come and get you and lead you up here,” April offered. 

“Three weeks, his 26th week,” Jane said.

After speaking to Jane, April called Irma to let her know that she and the turtles and Splinter were now staying at her farmhouse. 

Irma wanted to see them again soon. But then, she said that Howie had gotten a job as a musician in a town near Chicago and that they would be moving soon. Irma promised to come back from time to time. 

“Oh, that’s good to hear, Irma,” April said, even though she was surprised. 

“I still support Donatello, and he’ll be a great dad,” Irma said. “And, you are all still invited to our wedding next June.” 

“Thanks, Irma. I’m sure they’ll want to be there,” April replied. 

Irma knew this was hard, but she wasn’t going to let her fiancé slip away from her. She had waited for so long to be happily married to a guy who loved her for who and what she was. Even though April was sad that her friend was leaving, she was still happy for her. This was something Irma had longed for.

They agreed that Irma could come up in a couple weeks when she had a few days off. She would be glad for this move too, so she could also get away from Burne and Vernon. Even though April was out of their business, they still drove Irma crazy. 

April told the others at dinner that night that Irma and Howie were going to be moving away because he got a job in Chicago. 

The turtles and Splinter looked at her in shock. They never thought that Irma would be moving away. Donatello would have liked having another female role model for his kids, but things had to be what they were. 

“When is the wedding going to be?” Mike asked. 

“Next June,” April replied. “They’ll come back for it to be here in New York.”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Splinter said. 

Donatello thought about it. Come June, his twins would be only about two months old if they did go the full nine months of pregnancy. 

“When are they moving?” Don asked. 

“Next month,” April answered.


	13. Chapter 13

The new cold front was coming through now, and a blizzard was raging outside. Everyone was huddled inside the farmhouse trying to keep warm and find things to do. There was a fireplace in the living room and there was a fire burning just for the occasion. 

They were mainly watching TV to see how long this storm was going to last and how much snow they were going to get. The report said there could be up to a foot of snow with a mix of freezing rain too. That was an issue. They’d be lucky if they didn’t lose power. 

It was the middle of the day at the moment. After the weather report, they went on to watch other programs. Donny went to his new lab to work on some stuff. He would work more on the infirmary later. He was still getting it set up, but he had everything clean and sterile in there. Now he was working on a generator that would keep the electricity running in case the house lost power. 

Donatello was now beginning his 25th week. April would be bringing Jane up as soon as she could, but for now, it was too dangerous to do that. Jane had a portable ultrasound machine she planned to bring with her and set up in the infirmary. 

Don looked through his baby books for name ideas. He still hadn’t picked any, but he knew he needed to. His family had been offering their own suggestions. 

Donatello had looked up his own name, which meant ‘gift.’ He knew he had a gift for being a genius, and he wanted the names that he chose for his children to be appropriate and meaningful as well. He was taking the decisions very seriously. 

In his room at bedtimes, he had started reading to the twins. They were often at their most active just when he was trying to relax. When he knew that he wouldn’t be able to fall asleep right away, Donny would pick up a book and start reading to them. He had read that they could hear his voice. He was sure that it was true because they usually calmed down as if they were trying to listen to him read. 

Mike still wanted to feel the twins move. Donny was a little protective of his belly, but he knew Mike meant no harm. He would sometimes let him when they were being active. 

It was a little hard to feel them through his plastron. But, it was easier to feel them move through his sides. Mike did feel them that way a few times. 

“I can’t wait to meet them,” Mike told Donatello. “Does the kicking hurt?” 

“No, but it feels strange for sure, and I have no control over it,” Don explained. 

“I wonder if they can hear me?” Mike asked. 

“The books say they can,” Don replied. 

“I want to try it.” Mike got near Don’s belly and spoke, “Hi there, little twin-sters. It’s your Uncle Michelangelo. I want to meet ya soon.” 

Donatello looked down at his brother, then he felt a big jolt inside him. It might have been a jump from a baby. 

“Michelangelo! I think the baby heard you!” Don said excitedly. 

“Really? Awesome, dude!” Mike was thrilled that his nieces or nephews were hearing him. 

Donny felt it again. It made him put his hands on his stomach. “I think your voice is startling them though. Just keep your voice calm, okay? I really don‘t want to feel like they are going to come out of me just yet.”

Mike then put a hand on his bro’s stomach. He just wanted to feel the babies moving. “I’ll give you two the most awesome pizza someday.” 

Donatello could feel the movement, but Mike couldn’t through Don’s plastron. Then, Donny felt a kick in the side. 

“Here, Michelangelo, put your hand on my side,” Don instructed. 

Mike did so and within a moment, there was a kick. “Whoa! That is so cool, Donatello.” 

“And there’s still plenty to come. Three more months or so,” Don sighed. 

Pregnancy was often tiring. There were times when Don had the energy to do things and then, the next moment, he was completely worn out. 

“Okay, Michelangelo. That’s enough for right now. I have some work to do before I go to bed,” Don said.

“Alright. I look forward to tomorrow,” Mike said as he left the bedroom. 

Don started reading some more to the twins before he went to bed. They needed to calm down after playing with their uncle.   
……………

The next morning, the blizzard had moved on its way. There was a blanket of white outside, new fresh snow. The trees were covered in ice too, making them bend over more. There were some tree limbs down in the yard. 

Raph looked out the window in admiration. “I wish we could go outside and enjoy it.”

“Go ahead, but don’t come complaining to me if you end up on your shell,” Mike snapped.

“Guys, we’ve been out in the snow and ice before,” Don reminded them. 

“Yes, but you are not going out there, Donatello. Not in your condition. The risk of falling and hurting yourself and the babies isn’t worth it,” Leo warned. 

Don barely suppressed an eye roll. “I know. I was just saying under normal circumstances.”

“When the twins have been born, guys, nothing will be the same again. We’ll all have to take turns staying at home whenever we want to go out,” Leo declared. 

“Yes. It is something you will have to take into consideration,” Splinter agreed. “I don’t mind taking care of them sometimes, but it’ll be up to you four to take charge of their care most of the time.” 

The turtles had agreed to this already and were still preparing for it. April knew they could be responsible parents and babysitters, despite them still being just barely out of their teen years.   
…………….

It took a full week for the temperatures to warm up just enough for the ice to thaw off the roads and trees. That was when April went to go get Jane so that she could do another exam on Donatello and bring the portable ultrasound up here for them to use.

Don had begun having more problems with his stomach, as the twins were pushing on his internal organs and putting more pressure on him. He was having issues with gas, some constipation, and even heartburn. 

The website and books said to eat a healthy, high fiber diet and drinking lots of water. The excess water and weight were also putting pressure on his bladder, making him feel like he needed to pee constantly. 

Donatello would watch his brothers sit on the floor sometimes for meditation with Splinter. He wanted to join them, but getting up and down was beginning to be a problem. The weight of the twins was just getting to be too much. He couldn’t sit down on the floor anymore.

The twins were likely to be about one and a half pounds, and close to 14 inches long, if maybe a little shorter. 

Don was planning to take it easy now that he was in his final trimester. He hoped to stay off his feet as much as possible. He’d make exceptions for a few light activities.  

April soon drove Jane to the farmhouse and they brought in the portable ultrasound. Don led them to the infirmary room.

“This is impressive,” Jane praised as she checked out the room.

Don smiled. “Thanks. I tried to set it up to like what I’ve seen at your clinic and on TV shows.”

Everyone filed into the room after them. Jane was a little surprised at the rat, but knew he was their sensei. Mike had told her about him. 

“Are you going to do an exam on Donatello?” Leonardo asked. 

“Yes, shortly after the ultrasound is hooked up and we’re sure it's working,” Jane replied. 

Leo smiled, “We kinda want to see what the twins look like.” It had been a while since Don had brought home any new pictures. 

Jane nodded. “That’s understandable.” 

It didn’t take much to hook up the machine and then make sure it worked alright. Jane understood it better than Don did at the moment, but he wanted to learn more about it before the twins came. For now, Don just helped out as much as he could. 

“How long do you think before the twins are born?” Raph asked. 

“It’s hard to say. Donatello could make it to his 34th week, but I hope he can make it to the 37th week at the best. Twins are often born sooner than single babies, at least with humans,” Jane explained. 

“But he’s more turtle than human,” Mike said. 

“In his DNA, yes. But mentally, as with all of you, Donatello is more human,” Jane preached.   
That was nice to hear from a human other than April for a change. 

When it was all set up, Jane took another blood sample from Donatello. Then, with his family still in the room, she got the machine ready and Don laid back. She put some gel on his stomach before putting the wand on it. 

Don’s head was supported by a few pillows. He was looking to his right towards the screen. His family was curious to see the babies and what Jane had been doing all this time with him in the doctor’s office before coming up here. 

Jane found the twin on the right side first. As she guided the wand over Don’s belly, she pointed out the body parts to the others. The baby clearly had a shell by now. She showed the heart beating, but didn’t play it just yet. Then she moved the wand over to examine the other twin. She showed the others its little body as well. 

Leo gave a low whistle. “Wow! This is amazing to see, Jane.”

“They are so cute!” April bubbled. 

“I’ve never seen anything like this before,” Raph said reverently. 

Splinter just gave a big smile. These were going to be his grandchildren and he was glad to see they were healthy. 

They were all really impressed with the babies. When the room fell quiet, Jane turned on the sound. The others all froze at the thumping of the heartbeats. Jane played one, then moved the wand and played the other. Then she turned it off. 

“Was that… the babies’ hearts?” Mike asked. 

“Yes,” Jane answered. “They are just fine, Michelangelo.” 

“It’s amazing what that machine can find out about the babies,” Splinter said. 

“Yes, it is. And I’m sure over the years that doctors and scientists will keep on making even better ones,” Jane said. “Well, Donatello. Everything looks to be really good for you and the twins.” 

Don sat up and cleaned the gel off his belly. ”Thanks, Jane. I really appreciate you going through all this trouble for me.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll be moving in next week to make sure that things stay safe.“ Jane said. 

“Are the babies in eggs or are they live?” April asked. 

“They are live. I have examined him carefully before. Somehow, there is an artificial uterus in there.”  
“Something that Floyd created,” Don supplied. 

“At least we won’t have to worry about incubating eggs,” Leo said. 

“Yeah,” Don agreed. “I’m glad that I don’t have to build an incubator.”

“They probably would have been born sooner too if they had been eggs,” Jane theorized. “And now is the time when you all have to start to get really prepared for the twins to come. We are heading toward the last reaches of the pregnancy.

Those words really scared Donatello. He began to breathe heavily. This got the others’ attention. Splinter went over to him. 

“Deep breaths, my son. Take it easy,” Splinter soothed. 

“This is just so scary, Master. I know they will be here soon, but it’s just the reality of it happening.” Don said between gasps. 

“You need to try deep breathing techniques, Donatello. You need to steady your breathing,” Jane said. “Yes, this is scary, but it’s exciting at the same time.” 

“It’s also incredible how far you’ve come in this pregnancy,” Mike comforted. 

“I think you’ve handled it far better than we ever would have,” Leo said. 

“If it had been any of you, I could be assisting Jane with yours,” Don said as he started to calm down. 

Mike chuckled. “Not gonna happen, dude.”  

Raph coughed. “I hope not.”

“You never know, guys,” April grinned. 

“Floyd could still change his mind and come after you guys too,” Don pointed out.

Leo furrowed his brow. “If he does, he’ll be in big trouble.”

“Do you think the twins are just your babies, or could they be a mix of us?” Mike asked. 

“I don’t know. I haven’t thought about it.” Don tapped his chin and hummed. “It’s possible.” 

“Anything’s possible, and after they are born, we can do paternity tests to see for sure,” Jane offered. She nudged Don’s shell to get him moving. “Donatello, I want to see how much you weigh now.” 

Donatello had been keeping his weight a secret. “Alright,” he muttered. 

There was a scale in the bathroom and they went there. Don stepped onto it, but with his belly in the way, he couldn’t see his weight. 

“How much is it?” Don asked. 

“One hundred eighty-two,” Jane replied. “You have gained about twenty-three pounds since you started keeping your food down.” 

“He’s never been up that high before. Is that a good thing?” Leo asked. 

“Yes, it is, Leonardo. It’s important for him to gain this weight. He needs to gain at least fifteen more pounds,” Jane answered. 

“What about after the twins are born? He’ll be overweight,” Raph worried. 

“A lot of that weight will vanish after they are born,” Jane told him. “In fact, a lot of weight will be taken off the moment they are out. And, with the right diet and exercise, he’ll be back to what he was before. Keep up the good work, Donatello.”

“I’m just glad that I’m not bringing up food constantly anymore,” Don said.

“Thanks for coming, Jane,” Splinter said. “I enjoyed seeing my grandbabies.” 

This had been the first time Jane had met Splinter. He was a real gentleman for a mutant rat. “I’ll be here next week and you’ll need an exam every two weeks for the next few and then every week until the twins are due to come,” Jane told Don. 

Jane stayed overnight because it was such a long drive back to the city. She enjoyed pizza and movies with the guys. This she would have to look forward to when she started staying with them. 

The next day, April drove her back to the city. Now that Jane knew the way, she had instructions for next time.


	14. Chapter 14

It snowed again a couple of days later, but at least there was no freezing rain this time. Three more inches had been added to the foot of snow that was already sitting on the ground. Winter was back in full force. 

Leo, Raph, and Mike sometimes went outside to get some air. Don insisted that they dress warmly. His ‘motherly’ tendencies were getting harder to ignore. He didn’t want them to get sick, and he didn’t want to be nursing them back to health in his condition. He couldn’t afford to catch anything from them. 

The trio would go out to clean snow off of the driveway to make it easier to go to town if they needed to. If they had time and weren’t too cold, they would play in the snow afterward. When they got back inside, they enjoyed warming up again. They would sit by the fireplace and watch the flames dance around. It was almost like camping. 

April planned to bring Irma up for a visit next week if the weather held up. 

There was a barn out in the very back of the property, and Donatello wanted to go see what was inside of it. Now that he was done getting the infirmary and his new lab all set up, he was starting to get bored. “What’s in that old barn?” Donny asked April. 

“It’s been years since I’ve been out here, but I don’t remember it being anything interesting; Just some old junk as far as I know,” April replied. 

“I’d like to check it out. To me, junk is treasure that I can turn into new inventions,” Don said. 

“That’s true,” April agreed. She had seen him do some amazing things with junk. 

Leo came into the room and heard them talking. “Going to the barn to see what’s out there is fine, but there’s too much snow and ice on the ground right now. We’ll clear a path for you and get some ice melt litter to spread out. That way, we don’t have to worry about you falling and hurting yourself.” 

“That would be great of you, Leonardo,” Don praised. 

April didn’t have anything to do so she went to the store to get the ice melt litter. They’d run out of it after the last major storm. 

Leonardo told his brothers to go get some shovels, and they began making a path out to the barn for Donatello. When they got to the barn, they found a sliding door on the side of it and went inside to check the place out. 

There was an old truck in there, some old paint cans, and a toolbox. There were some fenced-in areas where there was obviously a dairy farm once, or at least there had been animals here of some kind kept. 

“I bet Donatello will be working on this old truck,” Raphael predicted. 

“Yeah, he will be,” Leo agreed. “But we will have to help out on the lower section of it.”

“Unless he waits until after the birth,” Mike said. 

Leo shook his head. “He’ll be sore for a while after the birth and he won’t have the time when he’s a new father.”

Donatello did, in fact, want to make the most of his time while he was still pregnant to work on projects that would otherwise not get done once he had the twins.

“We can always take care of the babies if he wants to work on something,” Mike said. “I’m looking forward to holding them.” 

“So am I.” Leo smiled. “They will be something special for all of us.”

Raph smiled too. “I bet you’ll be the one who can’t wait to teach them our ninja ways, Leonardo.”

“You bet, Raphael. We’ll all teach them that.” 

“I’ll teach them my comic ways,” Raph added. “Teach them all the jokes of the trade.” 

“I’ll teach them how to make pizzas!” Mike joked. 

Raph looked at the contents of the barn. He didn’t consider any of the junk to be particularly impressive, but he knew one brother would. “I bet Donatello will teach them what he knows too, all that sciencey stuff.”

“He tries to get us to understand, but we just don’t have the kind of mind that he does,” Leo considered. “I’m sure he’ll want to be their science teacher, on top of being their dad.”  

“And what if the pat- test says that any of us are the fathers too?” Mike asked. He had a hard time pronouncing the word ‘paternity.’

“Then we’ll be dads too. We don’t know yet, Michelangelo,” Leo said.   
…………..

While his brothers were out in the barn, Donny had gone back to his new lab. Just as he sat down to work on the microwave that had gotten busted two mornings ago, a picture popped up on his dimensional video phone. 

“Hey there, you wacky turtle!” a hip-talking voice sounded out. 

It startled Donatello and he turned around and saw the faces of the Neutrinos on his dimensional video phone. He stood up and walked over to it. 

Don’s face lit up with a smile. “Dask? Zach? Kala? Wow. It’s been a long time since you guys last called us. It’s great to see you. What’s up?”

“We’ve been wanting to see what you hip cats have been up to since our last time coming to your dimension,” Zach replied. 

“Where’s Michelangelo?” Kala asked. 

“Oh, he and the other turtles are outside clearing snow. It’s really cold here in our dimension right now. We’re just trying to stay warm and busy,” Don explained. “I can go get him for you.” 

“Would you?” Kala requested. “I’ve been wanting to talk to Michelangelo for so long.”

“Hold on, guys,” Don said. He left the lab to go get his brothers. 

On the way out, he ran into Splinter. “Who were you talking to, Donatello?” 

“The Neutrinos. They just called and are waiting for me to go get the others,” Don told his father. 

“Alright,” Splinter said before letting him go. 

Don got to the back door and called out, “Hey, guys! The Neutrinos are on the phone!” 

The others could hear Don yelling, but couldn’t make out what he was saying. 

“Donatello’s calling us,” Raph said. 

“Let’s go see what he wants,” Leo suggested. 

Don saw his brothers step out of the barn a few seconds later. They got closer to the house before Leo asked him, “What did you need, Donatello?” 

“The Neutrinos are on the phone. Didn’t you hear me?” Don asked.

“No, but thanks for saying so! Come on, dudes!” Mike began heading for the house. The others ran to follow, but they all slipped on some ice and ended up on their shells or plastrons. 

Donatello made sure to stay away from them. He couldn’t afford to get caught in their turtle pile up. 

“That’s why we need the ice melt,” Leo pointed out as he got back to his feet. 

“Are they still on the phone?” Mike asked.

“Should be. I told them to wait,” Don replied as he brushed some snow off of Michelangelo’s shell. 

They all got inside and went to the lab, where Splinter was currently talking to the Neutrinos about how things were going. It had kept them on the screen long enough and they weren’t staring at a blank room while Don was gone. 

“Kala?” Mike began. 

“Michelangelo? I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” she greeted. 

“What’s been going on lately with you guys?” Leo asked. 

The Neutrinos looked at each other uncomfortably. It was Dask who finally broke the bad news. “Been dodging Shredder and Krang lately. They’ve got a new battle machine.” 

“I wish we could help you,” Leo said. 

“We don’t exactly have a portal to use,” Don explained. 

“You wouldn’t be going with us anyway, Donatello,” Leo said firmly. 

Don crossed his arms. “I know, Leonardo.”

Zach was puzzled. “Why can’t he come?”

“It’s hard to explain,” Don replied back. 

Things were getting rather scary in Dimension X lately. “We could really use your help, Turtles,” Dask begged. 

“Well, we aren’t home right now. Unless Donatello has his portal with us, we have no way of getting to your dimension,” Leo said. “But we would like to help.” 

Don considered the situation. “I can figure out the coordinates from Earth. We can head back to the city, and you guys can use my portal to get to Dimension X. Even if I can’t go with you guys, I can ensure that you get to the right place.”

“April went to the store to get that ice melt,” Leo remembered. “Splinter, can you give her a call? Let her know that we need to head back to the city to go to Dimension X.”

“Alright, Leonardo,” Splinter said. He knew their friends were in dire need of help. 

Donatello would go back to the lair with them, but he would have to stay behind in New York to operate the portal. 

The turtles all went out to the turtle van and got in. Splinter would remain at the farmhouse. He did call April and told her about the situation. The guys weren’t going to let their friends suffer their old enemy’s wrath.   
……………

When April heard about this, she dropped everything and went back to the city herself. She knew they might need some help. She was also going to make sure that Donatello didn’t go with them. 

April got into her car and called Leo. “Don’t you dare let Donatello go with you!” she said sternly. 

“We aren’t, April. He’ll stay in the lair. We just need to help the Neutrinos defeat Shredder,” Leo insisted. 

“I have to set the portal’s coordinates from the lair,” Don explained. 

“Alright, but be careful. I’m coming too, just to keep Donatello company. I’ll meet you down in the lair,” she said.

The drive to the city took four and a half hours because the roads were slicker than before. They all met in the lair. Donatello got the Neutrinos on the phone again and he began setting the coordinates. His dimensional portal was set up and working fine for the moment, though it was well known for periodically blowing up. 

The Neutrinos were ready to receive their friends. 

“Good luck, guys,” Don said. Leo, Raph, and Mike all stepped through the portal. 

When they stepped through, they started falling, but they all landed in the cars the Neutrinos had. 

“Boy, it’s good to see you guys,” Kala greeted. “Especially you, Michelangelo.” 

Mike blushed. “Good to see you too, Kala.” 

“Take us to where Shredder’s causing trouble,” Leo ordered. 

“On it, Daddy-O,” Zach said. 

The Neutrinos took their turtle friends to where a new battle machine was causing trouble for all the Neutrinos and neighboring aliens in their dimension. Stone warriors were everywhere. 

The three turtles were glad to be of help since they hadn’t seen any action in a while. 

Back at the lair, Donatello sat down on a chair and frowned. He wished he could be of a lot more help. April sat with him. 

“Did you tell the Neutrinos about the babies?” April asked him. 

“No. I didn’t get the chance to. We don’t hear from them enough,” Don said. “But it is good to hear from them now. I’m glad we could be of help, even if I can’t go.” 

“You’re doing enough just by sending the others to help them.” April put a hand on one of Don’s. 

Don grinned, but his eyes remained sad. “Thanks.” 

“We can watch TV or something while waiting to hear from them. They have their turtle coms, right?” April asked. 

“Yes. They’ll let me know when they want to come back,” Don said.    

April and Donatello went to the living room to wait. There was nothing more they could do for now. But then, an idea struck Don. 

“April, while we’re here, we could also drop in to see Irma and Howie before we go,” Don suggested. 

“Yes, we could do that. But we’ll wait for your brothers to get back first,” April said. 

“Of course,” Don agreed.   
…………….

Shredder was furious to see the turtles again. But he only saw three this time instead of the usual four. It didn’t matter. He would try to destroy them anyway and get the fourth later, wherever he was. 

He used everything in his power, but even with just the three of them, the turtles were still able to defeat Shredder, Krang, Bebop and Rocksteady, along with their Rock Soldiers.

It was a real adrenaline rush to be doing this again. It had been awhile. But in the end, they helped to destroy the new battle machine. It hadn’t been as big as the Technodrome, but it was still destructive. 

When they were ready, the Neutrinos took Leo, Raph, and Mike to a secluded spot to where they knew that Shredder or his cronies wouldn’t be getting out of Dimension X. 

It had been well over 18 hours since they went in. Leonardo called Donatello to let them know they were ready to come back. Don had made a valiant attempt to stay awake, but he had fallen asleep on the sofa a half hour ago. April had had to awaken him when she heard his phone ring. 

Don sleepily set the coordinates and opened the portal for his brothers. 

Mike left with a kiss mark from Kala. He blushed, then he followed his brothers back into the portal. 

When they got back to the lair, the Neutrinos called them and thanked them for their help. 

The boys were all very tired and they all went to bed in the living room. Their main bedding had been taken up to the farmhouse. Donatello had the couch. April slept in the chair and the other three curled up on the floor. They could sleep on the floor comfortably with the heat on.


	15. Chapter 15

The next day, after telling Irma that they were back in town, April and the turtles stopped by her apartment for a visit. Irma was happy to see them and to see how big Donny’s belly had gotten.

“How far along are they now?” Howie asked. 

“Twenty-six weeks,” Don replied with a smile. 

“Wow. A long time. When are they due?” 

“April,” Mike answered for Donny. 

“It still seems like a long time. We’ll be moving at the end of next month, but we’ll come back in June for our wedding,” Howie said. “I hope you all can come to it.” 

“We’ll plan on being there,” Leo assured the happy couple. 

“After all the heartbreaks, Irma, you deserve to be happy,” April said, smiling at her friend.

“Thanks, April,” Irma replied. 

Irma gave Donatello and April hugs before they went on their way back to the farmhouse. She and Howie wanted to see the farmhouse before they left for Chicago. They planned to stop by in a couple of weeks.   
………….

Back at the lab where Floyd Row and his group of scientists were, Floyd was glad to know that his first experiment was a success. Even though he didn’t know where the turtles had disappeared to, he figured it was a turtle thing. It made sense that they would not be coming to the surface very often while it was so cold outside. 

When the good weather returned, Floyd wanted to run a similar experiment on one of the other turtles, to make sure that the offspring would have more genetic diversity. Only this time, he would divide the DNA up and perhaps manipulate the embryos to develop in eggs. He wondered if the turtles had the patience to incubate eggs after the birth. Given that the adult turtles were all males, whether the babies were born from eggs or live birth, they would all have to be born via open belly surgery. 

Floyd would plan to capture all the turtles again and get fresh DNA from them. He might even do Donatello again, given he already had the artificial uterus inside him. But then, if his plastron was cut, it was possible for it to be removed.  
……………..

The turtles and April soon got back to the farmhouse and were glad to have not been captured or attacked while they had been in New York. 

Master Splinter had enjoyed the quiet time while his students were gone, but he had still been concerned about them, and especially Donatello. He had been worried about the Neutrinos as well. They were his friends too, after all. 

When they got inside, Splinter greeted them. “Welcome back, my turtles. How did everything go?” 

“It was just like old times, Master,” Leonardo said. 

“I missed fighting with Shredder and taking out the Technodrome, even though we hate him,” Raphael reminisced. 

“I loved seeing Kala again,” Michelangelo said. 

“It was good to see all of them again,” Donatello agreed. 

Splinter’s eyes widened. “You didn’t go in your condition?”

“No, of course not, Sensei,” Don reassured. “I just stayed in the lair and made sure to monitor the coordinates of delivery. April stayed with me.”

Splinter was pleased to hear this. “And how was the battle with the Shredder?” 

“We defeated him again,” Leo boasted. “He had a new battle machine, but we made sure it was destroyed before we came back.”

“We should try to keep more in contact with the Neutrinos,” Mike suggested. 

“Do they know of the twins coming?” April asked. “I’m sure they’d want to meet them after they’re born.”

“No,” Raph answered. “I guess we were so caught up in the moment that we forgot to tell them.”

Don shrugged. “It’s okay. Another time.”

“Well, they did ask where you were, Donatello,” Leo soothed. “We just told them that you had to stay behind to monitor our coordinates.”

“And they know I’m alive since they talked to me first,” Don considered. 

“It was good to have that action again, period,” Leo said. 

“We all need it sometimes,” Raph agreed. 

Mike nodded. “It makes our lives exciting.”

“Yeah, I wish I could be in on the action too, but I can’t given my current condition.” Don glanced down at his swollen belly and gave it a rub. He felt movement from within it. 

Leo tried to comfort him. “It’ll be over before you know it, Donatello.” 

“Yeah, but then we’ll all be looking after the twins,” Raph declared. “Our lives won’t be the same again.”

“True, but our small family will grow by two,” Don said. 

“Have you decided on names yet?” April asked. 

Don frowned. “Nothing yet.” 

“You need to decide, dude!” Mike exclaimed. “What’ll happen if they are born and they don’t have names?”

“I’ll decide their names soon,” Don snapped. “Stop pressuring me! I just want them to be perfect.” 

“We want their names to be just right too,” Leo said. “We aren’t trying to pressure you. We want them to be good too. Names are something that will determine their identities for life.”

“I know that, Leonardo. That’s why I’m looking for names with easy pronouncement and good meanings,” Don explained. 

Mike saw Don getting emotional and decided to change the subject. “Well, Jane moves in next week.”

“Yes, she does,” April said. 

At Splinter’s suggestion, the guys and April spent the rest of the week making sure that the house was clean and ready for Jane’s arrival.   
…………….

The following week, Jane arrived just one day before another big snowstorm hit. She also brought along two gifts: baby books!

Donatello wanted to be out in the barn, when he found that the old truck didn’t run. He could work on it without leaning too far over and putting pressure on his stomach. But, getting underneath it was impossible now. 

His brothers were glad to help him out with what he needed. They were doing their best to be supportive and helpful. 

Don still had mood swings and a different taste for food. He did have a taste for fish now that he didn’t have before. His diet was still mainly fruits and veggies. He was doing the best he could to eat healthy. Sweets were kept to a minimum. He did eat meat regularly too. Don was glad the days of morning sickness were over. He was gaining the weight he needed with being able to keep his food down. 

Jane measured his weight again when she got settled. 

“Everything is looking good, Donatello. Keep it up,” she said. 

“How much more do I need to gain?” Don asked curiously. 

The scale read 193. His regular weight before pregnancy had been 165. 

“Another ten pounds would be nice, but it’ll be what it is. I’ll need to monitor it carefully,” Jane replied seriously. 

“He’s going to have to lose a lot of weight once he has the twins,” Raph joked. 

Don glared at him sharply. He hated these weight gain jokes. 

“He’ll lose a lot of weight right after the birth, Raphael,” Jane said. “There’s just so much that he’s got inside of him right now that makes him gain this weight. There’s two babies, the amniotic fluid, the placentas.” 

“Ooo-kay. Please stop saying that.” Raph backed off the jokes. He was now being grossed out. 

“What? Can’t take it, Raphael?” It was now Don’s turn for a joke. 

“It’s just gross to talk about,” Raph said. 

“But perfectly natural at this time,” Don defended. 

“It’s amazing what the twins are growing in, since they aren’t growing in eggs like normal turtle babies,” Leo said, though he was slightly grossed out too. 

“Yeah, to think they would have been born sooner in eggs,” Mike said. 

“Donatello, I want to do another sonogram on you,” Jane requested. 

They went to the infirmary for the exam. The family wanted to see them too, and followed behind. The babies looked more like complete little turtles all the time. One baby looked like it was having hiccups. Don could feel some little bumping against him on his left side. The wand was on the left twin. The second baby looked like it was sucking on its thumb. The others were in awe at that. 

Jane played the heartbeats and they sounded normal. Everything checked out just fine. They were developing normally. Don was glad when the exam was over and new pictures were printed and added to the new baby books. The twins were each about the size of a ball of lettuce. 

Donatello did have more severe leg cramps and had to start sitting in the chair a lot more with his feet propped up to get the swelling out, along with drinking lots of water. That also meant more frequent trips to the bathroom to pee. That part he really hated. 

His back was having pains too. The twins were making his back hurt a lot too from standing and from their weight. Donatello just had to limit his time standing up, period. 

His brothers were curious about his condition, and at one time would have thought him sitting down all the time was pure laziness, but not at this time. They saw he was uncomfortable. But then, none of them wanted to be fat. At least Don was only fat temporarily and with good reason. 

With all the things going on, Jane wanted to monitor Don more closely. She would give him examinations at least twice a month now, and he needed to tell her if he was having any pains. She just wanted to make sure that the babies didn’t go into distress. She wanted to get the twins at least to the 37th week. 

Jane also took a look at his prenatal vitamins and ensured that they had what he needed. April had been buying Don’s vitamins every month since the discovery of being pregnant. 

Donatello was also starting to have a hard time finding a comfortable position to sleep in. After the snowstorm had passed, the roads were okay enough to travel on slowly. April and Jane went to town for more supplies, and Jane stumbled upon a big body pillow. This could help Donny sleep a lot easier. She got it for him. 

Donatello had never slept with a body pillow before, but when he tried it the first night, he fell asleep faster and stayed asleep longer. It definitely helped! He was going to sleep with it every night. 

Jane talked to Splinter about doing massage for Don too. Since he was a gifted healer, this was something he could do for his son. Splinter knew where certain pressure points were in the body and what ones to avoid right now. He did want to do something more to aid his son, to help him be more comfortable. 

Splinter did some massages on him at nap times and at bedtimes. It just seemed to help him sleep better, aside from his new pillow. Even with all the help, Donatello was still feeling rather miserable. The sooner the twins were born, the happier he would be with his body again.


	16. Chapter 16

Donatello looked at a website that said even at 28 weeks along, he was only just now getting to the end of his sixth month. He was huge and uncomfortable, and felt much further along than that. It seemed to him that his pregnancy just wanted to drag itself on, slowly. 

“I’m glad I’ve come a long way since this first started, but it feels like this is taking forever,” he complained to himself. 

He saw that the babies were about the size of eggplants now. They were growing all the time. 

Don had begun to have more sleepless nights. He would often find himself on the computer, reading, sipping tea, working on a simple project, or just enjoying a fire in the living room. He sat in the chair when he couldn’t sleep in his bed. If he got lucky, he might manage to fall asleep in the chair instead. The discomforts of his pregnancy were just making it so hard for him to get the rest he needed. He was constantly exhausted. 

“Oh,” he moaned. “I hope this pregnancy is over soon. I can’t take much more of this.” He was holding his back, as it was aching again. It took so much out of him just to support all the weight he had on his front. He had never imagined being fat at all. This was why he had to stay active, at least when he wasn’t pregnant anymore and recovered. 

When the weather seemed decent enough, he went for walks down the driveway, but his family insisted on him wearing some cleat shoes so there was less chance of falling. The spikes would grip the ice and snow. Only problem was, Donatello could no longer bend over to deal with things so easily beneath his waist. The others had to help him put the shoes on his feet, which was embarrassing. 

Despite it being cold outside, his body was now producing a lot more blood to help insulate and support the babies. Don found he was breathing a lot harder than he used to as well. The twins were taking up almost every ounce of room in his stomach, leaving little space for his lungs to fully expand. 

Splinter saw how the pregnancy was affecting his smart son. He said that it was fine for Donatello to take some walks outside and to still practice self defense, but he just couldn’t be pushed too hard in his condition. 

Leonardo had been starting to read up on pregnancy too, as he wanted to be well prepared for his nieces or nephews. He knew Mike and Raph would be prepared, they just didn’t want to read about all the gross stuff. Leo was very concerned about the safety of his brother and the babies. He knew this had been a risk right from the beginning, but how likely would it be for them to otherwise have children of their own? Not very. There might be more kids someday, but at least these two would start them out. 

April, Jane, and Mike enjoyed feeling the twins move. The women would do some belly rubs on Don as he laid in his bed, letting them try to feel the twins move about inside him. The others had to touch Don’s sides to feel them, as it was impossible through his plastron. The belly rubs felt so good, it was like another massage. 

Massages were what helped Donny get to sleep a lot better rather than just staying in bed staring up at the ceiling and tossing and turning all night. 

When Donatello felt like being up in the daytime, he would go out to the barn to work on the truck or just to clean up the place as best he could. His nesting instincts were strong. He wanted to have the house and barn clean. Of course, the barn would never be as clean as the house. 

On the coldest snowy days, the family would sit in the living room and tell Jane stories of their adventures and sip hot chocolate. It was the perfect drink for the middle of the day or cold winter evenings. 

Jane was impressed with how much the guys had accomplished in their young lives. The average human would have taken a lifetime or more to get a fraction of their battle experience, and nobody had encountered even half the crazy things that the turtles had. For example, most people would never experience going to other dimensions.   
……………

Over the coming weeks, Jane wanted Donatello to stay off his feet as much as possible. He really wanted to get projects done that might otherwise take a long time to finish after the twins were born. 

His family knew how much he loved to work on inventions, but resting more was a sacrifice that had to be made for the sake of a healthy pregnancy. This was especially true because there was more than one baby, and the pregnancy was not natural. They wanted Donatello to get through this with his health intact. 

They were all trying to get themselves ready to be a slightly bigger family. The turtles practiced their diapering skills with dolls and reminded themselves how to care of a baby once again.

Donatello had now made it to his 32nd week. As he read some things on the website about what to expect, there were some things that he would never have to deal with, like leaking milk or either twin dropping into his pelvis. His pelvis just wasn’t made for it. He was so glad to be a turtle in these respects. 

He had cases of heartburn too. Jane said it was okay to take Tums to help it. And, he could take low doses of Tylenol for body pains and headaches as needed. 

April and Jane helped Donny to practice some breathing exercises that they hoped would keep him calm if he ever fell into distress. The women had to do most of the shopping in a nearby town. The farm was isolated, and the nearest neighbors were over four miles away. That worked out nicely for the turtles and Splinter, as they could do things outside without fear of being noticed. The down side was that it would take April and Jane a while to get to Don if he were to have any problems while they were in town. 

Sometimes the guys would come to help out if they really needed lots of groceries. Leo, Raph, and Mike still went out wearing disguises. 

The town was much smaller than New York, and seemed much more peaceful. Donatello didn’t go out of the house much, and he began to get restless. He wanted an adventure outside and away from the farm. 

The weather was clear right now, and had warmed up into the high 30’s. Some of the snow began to melt and April decided to go back to New York and get Irma for one final visit before she and Howie moved the following week. They had been busy tying up loose ends, and Howie had to stay behind to continue packing. 

Irma was glad to finally be finished working for Burne Thompson, and also to be away from that know-it-all complaining Vernon.

She was going to stay at the farm for a couple of days. Irma knew she was going to miss seeing the turtles and Splinter and April, and wanted to spend as much time with them as she could. They were welcome to call or write all they wanted. Irma would be sure to write a letter to April once she and Howie were settled into their new home. 

Donatello wanted to give Irma a gift: a sonogram of his twins. Jane did another one and he was happy to give it to her. 

Irma was touched that her closest turtle friend wanted to give her this for a going away present. She gave him a big hug and a kiss. 

Donny felt thrilled to do it. He hugged her back, and got a little choked up. Then he felt a roll inside him from the twin on his right side, and it made them both chuckle. 

Don had been monitoring the babies’ kicks and he usually got quite a few over the course of a couple of hours. He would do each twin’s kicks separately. Once in the morning and once in the afternoon. The twin on the right side of his belly was far more active than the one on the left. But if both got stressed, they both acted out. 

While Irma was visiting, since Donatello had been so restless and wanting to get out, they decided that they all could tolerate a night on the town. Splinter didn’t go for obvious reasons, but his family would bring him back something. 

It was easy for April and Jane to just slip into their jackets, while three of the turtles got into their light gray jackets, pants, and human masks. Don could easily get on his mask, but the clothes were a different matter. 

While shopping up here, before getting anything, April had to be sure on measurements. She knew Don’s belly would just get bigger, so she had gotten him a big guy’s coat. His old pants still fit, but were a little lower now with his belly in the way. His brothers made sure he didn’t fall over while putting them on. 

Don chose a sweater and the jacket too. Leo helped to put the shoes on his feet since he couldn’t. 

“You gonna get much bigger, Donatello?” Raphael joked. 

“Not funny, Raphael,” Donatello said. 

“Watch what you say, Raphael. His feelings are very sensitive right now,” Jane warned him. 

Raph laughed. “I can’t help it. He can’t hardly fit into anything anymore.”

“I know that. It’s not my fault,” Don said. 

“It won’t be much longer, Donatello. Just a few more weeks, or a month, I’m sure,” Jane said, patting him on the shoulder to reassure him. 

Once Donatello had managed to get dressed, they all went out for some dinner at a restaurant. There were a couple of them in town. 

Most of the people eating that night hadn’t seen these newcomers in there before. They did know April from the old TV news reports. 

When all seven of them got into a restaurant, the head waiter asked, “Hello, Ms. O’Neil. So, how many are there tonight?” 

“Hi, Tony. Seven please,” April replied. 

“Right this way.” The waiter led them all to a big round table that could seat up to ten people. 

They all got settled into their seats. Don had to sit down a little differently than what he was used to, and the process was very slow. The weight of the twins felt like they would make him double over if he moved too quickly. He was breathing super hard. 

A brown-haired kid a few feet away smirked at him. “What’s the matter, big guy? Can’t catch your breath?” 

Don snapped his head to look at the kid. He was about eight years old or so. 

“Hey! Brady! That was uncalled for. Apologize to the man,” the mother ordered her son. 

Brady groaned, but said, “Sorry, sir.” 

“Thanks,” Don replied, before turning to his brothers. “Oh, sitting down is almost a workout in itself at this point.” 

Don finally managed to seat himself, with a grunt and a huge puff of breath. The others could see why the kid had taunted their pregnant brother, but it wasn’t something they had to take. 

The waiter gave them all some menus and they looked through them. Mike of course, wanted a pizza. Raph and Leo chose pizzas too. 

April chose a cheeseburger and French fries. Jane had a salad and a burrito. Irma had a hamburger. Don chose a salad and spaghetti. It was a good-sized dish of food for him and the twins, but then, he was almost always hungry even after he ate. 

They all chatted while waiting, making sure to not talk about the twins in front of people that were closest to them at other tables. It was a Saturday, so the restaurant was packed. 

Soon, their food was brought to them and they all ate calmly. The turtles usually ate pizza with gusto, sending crumbs flying everywhere. But with the masks on their faces, they had to eat slower. 

Everyone finished their food. It took Donatello the longest to finish his, but he finished it. It was a special night, so he let himself pig out. He wanted to be full for once, not hungry. He even wanted dessert. 

Eating so much was usually Mike’s department, but Don had an appetite right now that rivaled Mike’s. He was eating for three after all. 

They were glad to see the boy and his parents leave when they did. 

They got dessert and paid after eating, then went back to the farmhouse. Don hadn’t liked what that kid had said to him, but he had silently taken it, even though it had hurt his feelings. 

This was to be Donatello’s last venture into town until after he had the twins. 

A couple of days later, Irma said her goodbyes and had to go back to the city to finish helping Howie before they moved.   
………….

After Irma left, April’s aunt showed up at the farmhouse completely out of the blue.

Agatha Marbles hadn’t expected to find anyone up here. She was taking a break from her TV show right now and was wanting to take it easy for a couple of weeks. 

Aunt Aggie found the door unlocked. “Hello, is anyone here?” she called out. 

The others heard her. “That voice sounds familiar,” Raph said. He went to investigate. 

They were all in the middle of watching a program on TV. Donatello was a little nervous about an unexpected visitor in his condition. He wasn’t really feeling up to running away at the moment, or even getting up, for that matter. 

“Aunt Aggie?” Raph peaked around the corner and saw the older woman in the pink outfit and hat. 

“Raphael?” Aggie stated questioningly. “What are you doing here?” 

“My family and I are staying here for a while. What are you doing here?” Raph asked curiously. 

“I’m on a break for two weeks from filming my TV show. I wanted to spend some time away for it,” Aggie replied. 

“Guys, it’s Aunt Aggie!” Raph called back to the others. 

April went out first. “Aunt Aggie?” 

“April, dear. It’s been too long,” Aggie said as she and April embraced each other. 

The others got up to go see their visitor. Jane was introduced to the detective aunt of April’s. She was pleased to meet her. But when Aggie saw Donatello still seated in the chair, she got a concerned look on her face. 

“Donatello, you really shouldn’t let yourself go like that,” Aggie scolded. 

The others giggled. 

“It’s not like that at all, Aunt Aggie,” April explained. “Donatello has a special condition.” 

“He needs to eat healthier to lose that weight,” Aggie advised. “I try not to judge, but good gracious! It looks like he can hardly get up!”

“Aunt Aggie, I’m not really fat, fat. You see, some months ago, I had an encounter with a scientist and he did something to me. He… impregnated me,” Donatello summarized. “I’m having twins.” 

Aggie was shocked. She had heard a lot of crazy stories in her life, but this, a male being pregnant, was a new one.

“How far along are you, Donatello?” she finally asked. 

“Thirty-two weeks or so now.” 

“I’ve never heard of a turtle being pregnant this long,” Aggie said. “Or pregnant at all for that matter. Don’t they lay eggs?”

“It’s probably partially due to being part human, as well as his mutation,” Jane theorized. “He has about a month left to go, since it’s twins.”  

“Who is the proud papa?” Aggie wondered. 

“We don’t know. As far as we know, Donatello is both the father and mother,” Leo responded. 

“But it’s still possible for any of them to be the father. We plan on doing paternity tests after the babies are born,” Don explained. 

“Names picked out yet?” Aggie asked. 

“I’ve decided, but the names will remain secret until the birth,” Don answered. “Everything else is otherwise ready for the twins to arrive. We have all the supplies.” 

“I bought car seats the other day,” Mike said. 

“Yes, they will need those,” Aggie agreed. 

They let Aunt Aggie stay with them. It was her house after all! She had many interesting stories to tell since the last time they had met. But to make her a true believer, Jane did another sonogram on Don to show her that he wasn’t making it up about the twins. 

Aggie was in awe when she saw the babies on the screen and heard their heartbeats. She knew that the turtles would cherish these little ones that were on the way.


	17. Chapter 17

Donatello was getting closer and closer to his due date. It had been narrowed down to around May 18th. Jane would do a c-section on that day as long as Donatello and the twins didn’t encounter too many difficulties before then. Don was getting more and more restless with all this waiting. May seemed to be a long way off. 

Irma and Howie had finished packing up and had moved out of the city three days ago. They were busy setting up their new home in Chicago. 

Aggie stayed at the farmhouse for her two-week break. Sometimes her detective talk could be a little annoying, but it was also rather fascinating. April liked hanging out with her aunt. It had been years since they had been able to spend so much uninterrupted time together. 

Aggie offered Don a lot of unsolicited advice about what he was supposed to be eating while he was pregnant, and what activities he should and shouldn’t be doing. He often got annoyed by her bossiness. He wasn’t able to be up and about all that much. He would spend a few hours a day trying to get some projects done, then his back and ankles would make him have to go to bed or sit in a chair with his feet elevated. 

He got in a good nap every afternoon. If he didn’t get one, he felt exhausted by dinnertime. The hormones and lack of sleep at night was the issue. The massages and body pillow helped him fall asleep, but he would wake up after a few hours. He just couldn’t sleep a full eight hours straight anymore. He could only sleep on his sides now, as he wasn’t allowed to sleep on his back. If he laid on his back, the weight of the babies put too much pressure on his organs and was bad for the babies as well. 

Two weeks later, Donatello was into his 34th week. Aggie finally had to leave again to go back to work on her detective programs. Don liked April’s aunt, but she had pushed his buttons a little too much while she was here. She acted like she knew everything, even though she didn’t even have any kids of her own. 

The weather soon warmed up again and everyone wanted to be outside more. Splinter and his three students were having a training session in the backyard when Leo’s phone began to beep. 

“Hold on, guys,” Leo said. Everyone stopped to catch their breath for a moment. 

Leo took out his com and opened it. On it was Zach, a human boy who acted as their fifth turtle. 

“Hi, Zach. What are you up to?” Leo greeted. 

“Where are you guys?” Zach asked. 

“We’re kind of out of the city for awhile,” Leo explained. “What’s going on?” 

“Walt and I haven’t seen you guys for a while, and we wanted to hang out. Could we?” the boy wondered. 

“Uh, hold on.” Leo put a hand over the screen. “Guys, it’s Zach.” 

“Our compadre, the fifth turtle?” Mike asked. 

“Yes. He and his brother, Walt, want to hang out with us,” Leo explained. ”But they still don’t know about Donatello’s condition. What do we do?”

“We will tell them what is going on,” Splinter suggested. “They have a right to know.” 

“But, how do we know how they will behave around the babies after they are born?” Raph wondered. 

“I’m sure they will be fine,” Splinter insisted. 

Leo nodded and took his hand off the com. “We are out of the city right now, but we can come and get you,” Leo offered. 

“How long will you be out of town?” Zach asked. 

“A few months or so,” Leo answered. “We need to stay out of New York for Donatello’s safety.” 

Zach was concerned. “What’s wrong with Donatello?” 

“It’s something we will have to discuss with you in person. I don’t want to talk about it over the turtle com,” Leo explained. “If it’s alright with your parents, we can bring you up here to the farm we are staying at. You might have to stay overnight because it’s a four-hour drive to get here and another four to get back.”

“I’ll ask. Maybe we could spend the weekend. I’ll get back to ya.” With that, Zach hung up. 

Leo put away his com and looked at his brothers. “He has to ask.” 

The com rang again a while later. This time, Mike answered it. “What’d they say, Micro-dude?” 

“They said Walt and me could stay this coming weekend,” Zach answered happily. 

Leo was pleased to hear this. “We’ll come get you on Friday.”

“See you then, Leonardo,” Zach said. 

The others all continued to train while Donatello was doing a little light house cleaning. April and Jane were also inside, assisting him by tidying up other parts of the house. 

After training was over, Splinter and his students went inside and had lunch. Leo told Don and the girls that they would be having Zach and Walt as company this weekend. 

“Since they are our fifth and sixth turtles, I think they have a right to know about how all this happened,” Mike suggested. 

“That’s true, Michelangelo. They’re teenagers like us, after all. They should be old enough to understand,” Raph agreed. 

“Hope so,” Don said with a sigh. Two more friends were about to learn his secret.   
…………..

On Friday, the two human brothers were all packed up and ready for a weekend with their turtle friends. The way they were packed up with sleeping bags and such might have been similar to going camping. Being city boys, they didn’t know what to expect at a farm. 

Leonardo made the trip to New York in the van to pick them up. He pulled up alongside their house and called Zach’s turtle com. “I’m outside. Come on out.” 

“Okay, Leonardo. Be right out,” Zach replied before hanging up. “Walt, he’s here.” 

“Yeah, coming, little brother,” Walt called back. He had been watching a favorite Western movie while waiting. He turned it off and went to get his things. 

The boys said goodbye to their parents and went out to the van. Their parents knew about the turtles and were fine with their sons hanging out with them. 

Leo started the van and took off. The boys were in the front seat with him. Their stuff was in the back. 

“So, how have you guys been?” Leo asked. 

“Busy with school and stuff,” Walt replied. 

“How come you had to leave town?” Zach asked. 

“It’s a long story, but it has to do with Donatello. There’s a certain condition he has right now. We left for his safety,” Leo explained. 

“What’s wrong with him?” Walt wondered. 

“You’re both old enough to understand. A scientist kidnapped Donatello a while back, and he did an experiment on him that changed laws of nature. Donatello’s a guy like we are, but the man claimed that he wanted to change things for us. His experiment somehow got Donatello… pregnant.” Leo was hesitant to use the word. 

Walt and Zach were shocked silent. Then Zach repeated, “Pregnant?” 

“That’s crazy!” Walt exclaimed. 

Leo nodded. “I had to tell you now because Donatello looks different than when you saw him last.”

“How many are there?” Zach asked. 

“Twins,” Leo answered. “He’s getting closer to the due date all the time. We think he’s due in May.” 

“Wow! Baby turtles sound awesome!” Zach exclaimed. He had more of an open mind than his brother did at times. 

“They are, but they will still be handfuls. They will be keeping us busy, that’s for sure,” Leo warned. 

It was a long drive up to the farmhouse. The town they went through to get there was much smaller than New York was, but it had enough to give them the supplies they needed. The weather was warming up outside as winter rolled into spring. 

Zach and Walt had no idea that they were now staying clear out in the boonies. 

“Wow, you guys sure are trying to stay away from people,” Zach noticed. 

“It’s for our safety, so they don’t know we’re here,” Leo told his friends. “April and Dr. Jane Goodfellow are staying with us.” 

They all went inside, and they were greeted by the home’s occupants. Donatello stayed in the back of the crowd at first. He was happy Zach and Walt were here, but being as far along as he was now, his interactions with other people were limited. 

“It’s great to see you guys again after so long, and after the H.A.V.O.C. mutants left too,” Zach said. 

“Yeah, we were glad when they did,” Raphael answered. 

The boys had finished greeting all the others and were introduced to Jane. Then, they glanced in the back and saw Donatello. 

Zach walked up to him. “Hi, Donatello.” 

“Hi, Zach, Walt,” Don greeted warmly. The boys couldn’t help but look at his belly. 

“Leonardo wasn’t kidding,” Walt remarked. 

“You really are having babies,” Zach added. 

Donatello put a hand on his belly. “Yes. It won’t be much longer.” 

“We can catch up in the living room,” Splinter suggested. 

Zach and Walt were given a tour of the house and the turtles showed them where they would stay. They ended the tour in the living room. There, they told stories about what had happened since their last meeting. At least now they were meeting under far better circumstances than last time. Back then, the turtles had almost been destroyed by a group of their combined enemies, including Shredder.

Donatello had to have the armchair with the foot rest to keep his feet elevated. His back hurt and his legs had cramps. He was now at 35 weeks along, and getting ever closer to his due date. The twins were a bit active right at the moment and he rubbed his swollen belly, trying to soothe them. 

Donatello started to breathe heavily and winced. The babies’ movements had become stronger in recent weeks. When his breath hitched, it got everyone else’s attention. The pained look on his face had them concerned. 

“What’s wrong, Donatello?” Jane asked immediately. She was by his side in a second. 

“Oh, the twins are moving a lot right now,” Don replied after the spell had passed. 

“Does it hurt to feel them move?” Zach asked.

“Sometimes. I can’t get comfortable anymore, especially at bedtime. I know they are wanting to get out. They kick into my ribs and my internal organs. It’s hard to breathe. I can’t eat large meals anymore. Just so much that I never expected. My back hurts and my feet get swollen. Heartburn.” 

“Just a few more weeks, Donatello,” Jane reassured him. 

“I know. I just wish it would get here already. I love them and all, but they are making me so miserable,” Don complained. 

“These next few weeks are the last that we will be just as we are now, guys,” Raph mused. “So I hope you have a good time while it lasts. After this, we will be so busy being parents.” 

“It’ll be a good change though. We never thought our lives would be affected like this - to have this miracle take place at all,” Leo said. “To have kids of our own.” 

“They are my kids. But yes, it is a miracle,” Don grumped. 

“How do we know that for sure?” Mike asked. 

“We’ll wait and see after the birth, Michelangelo,” Jane said. 

After a while, they all sat down to dinner in the kitchen. Don had to have a pillow behind his back. His family was having pizza. He had a couple pieces, but too much gave him heartburn, so he was also having some chicken and noodles. 

After dinner, the boys were taken on a tour of the backyard and barn. Don was happy to assist with that. It was one of his favorite places right now. 

Donatello had finally gotten the truck working. Raph was bringing it outside for the first time, as he had been helping the most. 

Raph and Don shared a special connection. Their voices even sounded similar. Hence, why Raph was able to pull that prank on Don about his clone, which had made Don mad at him for doing it. 

Raphael was sitting at the wheel and Don was now examining the engine for anything that needed adjustments. The boys were looking on in wonder at how Donatello could fix and make things even better than they were before. The truck had major improvements to it. It would stay here as a spare vehicle. 

Donatello was heading back into the barn, wiping his hands on a towel, when he suddenly felt a major pain in his stomach. He cried out in pain and fell to the ground, one hand holding his stomach.


	18. Chapter 18

Donatello’s anguished cry alerted Raphael and the boys. They ran over to where the genius laid crumpled on the ground. 

“What’s wrong, Donatello?!” Zach asked. 

“Ooh, oh! It… hurts!” Don managed. “I think I’m going to be sick!”

Raph put a hand on his brother’s back. “Walt, get Jane down here immediately!” he ordered the older boy. 

“Sure thing.” Walt turned on his heels and ran all the way back to the house. 

“Help! Donatello’s in trouble!” Walt called out. 

The others heard him and came running. “What’s wrong, Walt?” Leo asked. 

“Donatello. He’s… in pain,” Walt replied breathlessly. 

“I hope he didn‘t strain something,” Jane fretted. “I need to get to him.”

They all went down to the barn. Raph was still by Don’s side, as was Zach, though they didn’t know what to do to comfort him. Don was on his knees, trying to breathe. 

“That’s it. Just breathe, Donatello,” Raph encouraged as best he could. 

Soon, the pain eased up. Don let out a big breath and the twins decided at that moment to kick him hard. He gave a little smile. It was good to know that they were still okay in there. 

“What happened?” Jane demanded when she reached Donatello and Raphael.

“He just suddenly cried out and went down,” Raphael explained. “We don’t know.”

“Donatello, can you walk?” Jane asked. 

“I think so,” Don replied. “I just need help getting up.” 

Mike and Leo gladly helped him up. 

“We need to get you back to the house so that I can examine you,” Jane said. 

They all walked back to the house and Jane examined Donatello in the infirmary. She got him hooked up to an IV and placed a fetal monitor on his stomach to check the twins’ heartbeats. They both sounded good. 

Everyone waited outside the infirmary, too worried to go anywhere else. 

“Please make the pain stop!” Donatello cried out. “It feels like someone is stabbing me in the guts!”

“Show me where it hurts,” Jane requested. 

Don indicated a spot on his upper right abdomen. “Hmmm. That’s around where your liver and gallbladder are located,” Jane considered. She looked closely at Don’s eyes. “You don’t look jaundiced, and your last round of blood work was normal.” Jane pulled the portable ultrasound over and looked at the area that was bothering Don. 

“Why does it hurt so much?” Don whimpered. 

“It’ll take a little bit, but the medicine should help stop the pain. When I’m done with the exam, you can lay on your left side,” Jane suggested. “That should help to ease it too.”

Don just laid there, trying to breathe through the pain as he had practiced. He couldn’t bear to move a muscle. When the spell passed, Jane helped him to roll over, then she drew some blood. After that, Don rested more quietly. It took Jane a while to analyze the test results. 

Finally, Jane looked up from her work. Her face was solemn. “Donatello, I’m afraid that you’ll need to go on bed rest for the duration of your pregnancy. Your blood pressure is too high, and your organs are just under too much strain right now. Your gallbladder and liver seem to be struggling. I’m worried that you are at risk for developing preeclampsia.”

Donatello had been dreading this day. He liked to be up doing things, but as far along as he was now, and being in pain all the time, bed rest was simply the best thing for him. He wanted healthy babies, and he wanted to be there to watch them grow up.

“Alright. I don’t like it, but I’ll do it for them,” he grudgingly replied. 

Jane let the others into the infirmary after Donatello was stabilized. 

“How are you feeling, my son?” Splinter asked. 

“I’m starting to feel better. The pain has finally stopped,” Don answered. 

“What happened?” Leo asked, concerned. 

“Organ strain, and perhaps even the early stages of preeclampsia. It’s still a little early to deliver the babies, since we don’t know if they are ready to start breathing on their own yet. Donatello is going to have to go on bed rest for the rest of the pregnancy, just to make sure that this doesn’t happen again until the babies are ready to be born. At the most, it’s just for two weeks,” Jane explained. “We are in the home stretch now.” 

“I somehow just don’t feel like it,” Don complained. He was lying on his left side with his right hand on his belly. 

“Will he be allowed to get up at all?” Mike asked. 

“Only for visits to the bathroom, I’m afraid,” Jane answered. “But, this is for his own good, Michelangelo. You all can help to try to keep him entertained. Later on, he can also sit in the chair in the living room. But at least for now, he needs to remain in here to make sure that his blood pressure doesn’t rise too high anymore.”

Donatello was so ready for this pregnancy to be over. There were so many things he was miserable about. He wanted his body back to normal. If he were a human, he would just ask Jane to deliver the babies now. But with all the uncertainty about their rate of development, he just couldn’t run the risk of them being born too early. 

There was also the matter of delivery, but he didn’t want to discuss it in front of Zach and Walt. It felt too personal. Only after they cleared out did he talk to Jane about it.

“Is there any way that the twins can be delivered without having to cut my plastron? That’ll take a long time to heal,” Don said. 

“Your plastron has risen with your stomach, but due to the way your organs are arranged around the babies, I don‘t think I can go through your sides,” Jane regretfully informed him. “It’ll have to be your plastron, but I‘ll take real good care of you, I promise.”

Now that Don was on bed rest, he couldn’t be a good host for the guests. It was the first time he had seen Zach and Walt in months, and now he couldn’t get out of bed. Why did this have to happen today? 

The rest of the family would see to it that the boys had a good time while visiting the farm. For now, Donatello went to sleep.   
…………..

Leo, Raph, and Mike took Zach and Walt into town, and with the turtles dressed up in disguises, they walked around town to show them the sights. They had lunch at one of the restaurants, and showed them where to get some comic books that were for sale in one of the local bookstores. 

“Does much happen in this town? I mean, any robberies or anything?” Zach asked. 

“We’re not in town very much,” Raph said. 

“This town’s so small,” Leo replied. “It’s really quiet.”

“Too bad Donatello couldn’t come,” Walt said. 

Mike nodded. “We know, but this is for his own good. He’s so close to the due date, we don’t want him stressing himself out anymore.”

The turtle trio even volunteered to take the boys camping out in the backyard when they got back to the house. They had never camped much, but they did want to be nearby should anything happen with Donatello. 

That night, Don was looking out his window at a campfire in the backyard, wishing he could be out there too. He added this to his mental list of things that he had sacrificed for his babies. 

The trio of turtles, the human boys, Splinter, and April all spent time around the fire. Jane stayed inside with Don. She was still monitoring him, and so far, everything seemed fine. 

A couple of days later, it was time to take Walt and Zach home again. The only reason the boys had been able to stay for three days was because it was a teacher workday on Monday. Mike drove them home this time. 

The boys wished Donatello good luck in having the twins and promised that they would stay in touch. They wanted to know what genders the twins were when they were born. 

After the weekend was over, Donatello was taken off the monitor, and he was allowed out of the infirmary. He was moved to his bedroom, where he would have to continue to stay in bed most of the time. If he needed or wanted something, it would be brought to him. 

He would still try to work on some projects in bed, play card games with his family and friends, talk, sleep, and sometimes he was allowed up to watch TV. His moving around just was so limited now. Jane wanted him to make it past his 37th week at least, but the twins stood a good chance at making it should they be born now.   
…………….

Nothing much happened during the next two weeks. Donatello just stayed in bed or in the chair. He kept off his feet as much as possible. He still had to worry about his high blood pressure, and he still had stabs of upper stomach pain for some reason. Jane said that even though he had an artificial womb, it wasn’t going to contract like a real one would, even though it had done a good job of nourishing his twins for so long.  

Don had gotten rather demanding during this time of need, and it did annoy his family, even though they were trying their best to be patient and understanding. Don made a lot of snappy remarks when they asked how he was doing. He got emotional when he couldn’t be allowed up when he wanted to be. Now Jane didn’t even want him going to the living room to sit in his chair anymore. She did full exams every three days now, to make sure things were in order, but she checked his blood pressure at least four times a day. 

Don stared at the two cribs in his room. He wanted to see the twins in them soon. He was so miserable at not being able to do things he wanted to do when he wanted to do them. 

His back hurt so bad, he had to lay on his left side most of the time when sleeping now, just to make sure the twins got enough oxygen. He drank plenty of water, but it did increase his trips to the bathroom. Because of that, they had to get a commode for Don so he didn’t have to move too far to pee. 

Everything was a waiting game now. Don had made it past the 37th week. 

Jane knew how miserable her friend was. She wanted to help him feel better, but the only relief would be the birth. That was the only way to relieve all of the pressure within his body, and to cure the organ strain. It would mean cutting into his plastron, which would cause other difficulties, but at least the weight of the twins would be gone. 

April had been appointed to help with the birth when the time came. 

Everyone was anxious about the upcoming birth. They all tried to imagine what it was going to be like with two new baby turtles living with them. 

The turtles all knew it was probably going to be similar to when they had to take care of Treble, the Neutrino baby, but at least the twins wouldn’t have telekinetic powers. 

Jane might have preferred if the twins would have made it to closer to the 40th week, but at the beginning of the 38th week, Donatello began to feel some increasing discomfort that just wasn’t letting up.  

At first, he thought that it was just caused by the weight in his stomach from the twins, but when it got more intense, he knew it wasn’t from them. 

After about four hours of feeling intense pains and nausea, Jane came in to make sure Don was alright and to give him some dinner. Don moaned, “Jane, this pain in my upper stomach keeps getting worse. I don’t think that I can handle it anymore.”

Those words almost made her drop the tray she was holding. Don was trembling and covered in sweat. 

“What? Are you sure?” she asked with concern. The turtle didn’t look good at all. Her medical instincts told her that something serious was going on. 

“These pains have been building up over the hours. They are getting stronger and more intense. The pain is constant now,” Don groaned. “The twins are cranky too.”

Jane chuckled that it made the twins cranky, but could understand why. “They really want out. I think we’d better just give them what they want.” Jane winked. “I’ll go tell your family, and we’ll have to get the infirmary ready for the surgery. You’re going to be a father by the end of the night, Donatello!”

 

Don looked at her in wonder, then grabbed his belly as a lance of agony shot through him. 

Jane frowned. “I know you might want to be awake for this, but with no way to numb your body from the waist down, I will have to knock you out.”

“Just please, take good care of my babies,” Don said, very alarmed at hearing that. 

Jane did her best to sound calm and normal, in the hopes of soothing her patient. She needed to tell his family what was going on. “They’ll be just fine, and so will you. I’ll just take the food back for now and you can have it after you have the twins, when you feel like eating again,” Jane said. She took the food back out to the kitchen. It was better to not eat before surgery anyway. 

When Jane reached the kitchen, the others saw that the bowl of soup was still full.

“Did Donatello not want it?” Mike asked. 

“It’s not that he didn’t want it, Michelangelo. It’s the fact that he is ready to have the babies. He’s having another attack of some sort, and we can’t wait any longer to deliver them,” Jane explained. 

“WHAT?!” Everyone shouted at once. 

Jane dumped the soup back into the main bowl. “April, we need to get the infirmary ready to have the surgery. I’m sorry, but dinner has been disrupted.” 

The others all forgot about eating and began to get anxious. 

“My turtles, please remain calm. Getting over excited will not help Donatello or the babies.” Splinter attempted to keep his other three sons calm, as they were nervous and anxious about what was about to happen. Soon, they were going be uncles, and Splinter would be a grandfather.


	19. Chapter 19

April and Jane rushed to the infirmary to make sure that everything was in order. They got the surgical table prepped, and arranged and sterilized all the tools that would be needed. 

Once everything was ready, Leonardo and Raphael helped Donatello get out of bed, then walked him to the infirmary. With the help of his family, Don climbed onto the table. It was so hard to get on with his belly in the way, but it wouldn’t be like this for much longer. He was in extreme discomfort. 

Once Don was on the table, April shooed the turtles out. They watched helplessly as the door closed behind them. 

Donatello was on his back so that Jane would have access to his plastron. This was the best way for the twins to be born. Don was hooked up to an IV and oxygen. He was also hooked up to a heart monitor, and then he was knocked out. 

April was standing by to receive the babies and to help clean them up. She would leave the surgery to Jane. She was so nervous for Donatello, how the surgery could go, but she was still going to be ready to do her part.  

Jane used a buzz saw to cut a large square in the middle of Donatello’s plastron, to make sure she had enough room to have access to the twins. When the incision was big enough, she began cutting through tissue until she found the artificial uterus. 

She made a transverse cut into the side of the uterus, and she found what felt like a ball inside of it. She cut into the sac and water went everywhere. She sucked up the water with her surgical tools, then reached in and pulled on the baby. She got it out and she sucked the mucus out of the airway. The newborn baby let out a wail. 

From behind the closed door, after what had seemed like hours, Donatello’s loved ones finally heard a baby cry! 

“Donatello’s a father now!” Mike shouted. 

Splinter smiled. “I’m a grandfather.” 

“And we’re all uncles!” Raph celebrated. 

The trio of turtles all high three-ed each other.

April took the first baby and began to clean it off. She couldn’t really tell if it was a boy or girl. Jane had just handed it to her so that she could focus on getting the second twin out. 

Jane delivered the first placenta and placed it on a tray, then she began to get the other baby turtle out. The same procedure was repeated. The second baby cried once its airway was cleared out. 

April had the first twin all cleaned up by now and was ready for the second twin. The other little turtle was squirming in its newfound freedom from the tight space of the uterus. This world was much bigger and brighter. 

Jane gave April the new baby, then returned her focus to Donatello. The artificial uterus was connected to a major artery. She tied off the artery so that it wouldn’t bleed out. She then cut the uterus out of Donatello and set it aside for future study. 

Jane examined Donatello’s organs to see what had been causing the intense pain he had been feeling earlier. When she checked his gallbladder, she found that it had burst due to inflammation and blockage with gallstones, no doubt due to all the stress Don’s organs had been under. 

 

Jane clicked her tongue in disapproval. No wonder Donatello had been in so much pain right before delivery. Jane removed the gallbladder and cleaned up the mess it had made in the turtle’s abdominal cavity. 

Don’s tissues were then sewn up and his plastron put back into place ever so carefully. Jane used epoxy glue to keep it together, then cleaned and bandaged him. Don would now be allowed to rest quietly on his carapace and sleep off the anesthesia. 

Once Jane was sure Don was alright, she began to examine the twins. From what she could see, the firstborn was a boy, and the second born was a girl. She would have the other turtles check in case she was wrong. 

April finally went out to tell the others. They were all thrilled that their family had gotten a little bigger and that their brother was going to be just fine. Now they just wanted to know what their brother had decided on for names. 

Jane and April brought the twins out for everyone to see. “Now I’m not one hundred percent sure if my guesses on the genders were correct. If you guys could all check them for me?” Jane requested. 

Leo, Raph, and Mike all checked the gender of the twins and to them, it appeared that her diagnosis was correct. Now they just had to wait for Don’s approval. 

They all loved meeting the twins for the first time and getting to hold them. They looked like the young adult turtles, but only a genetic test would tell who the biological fathers were. Jane would do it after a while. 

Donatello soon came around from the anesthesia. He saw that he was laying on the bed in the infirmary, covered up by blankets. He remembered what had happened. He had severe stomach pains, and then… the babies! 

“Jane! The babies…!” Don called out. He saw his stomach had gone down. It felt lighter. 

“Shh! Shh!” Jane came over to him. “It’s alright, Donatello. The twins are just fine. They are with your family right now.” 

“Are they girls, or boys?” Don asked anxiously. 

“One of each, we think,” Jane replied. “But, you should check yourself to be sure.”

Don spoke softly. “Can I see them now?”

Jane smiled. “Of course.” 

Jane asked the turtles to bring the babies back into the infirmary. 

“They are very beautiful, Donatello,” April praised. 

“Thanks, April,” Don said. 

Jane looked to her patient. “Just relax and we’ll let you hold them.”

Donatello laid back, but was ready with open arms. He still had the IV in his hand. 

Leo was holding the boy, and he handed him over to Jane. “This here we believe is your son,” Jane said as she handed the baby to his father for the first time. 

The baby was asleep at the moment. Donatello supported his head on his left bicep. 

“So, is it a boy, Donatello?” Splinter asked. 

Don peeled the towel off the tail area. He looked carefully. “Yes, it’s a boy.” 

“So what’s his name going to be?” Mike asked. 

“I’ll let you know when I’m ready to tell,” Don said. 

“And here is your daughter,” Raph said. He handed the girl to Don. 

Donny held the twin in his right arm. He gently gave the boy to Splinter so he could check this one too. It was indeed, a girl. Once Don settled back again, the boy was given back to him. He laid there holding the twins, one on each arm for the first time. 

This felt so good, to finally hold them and to know what they were. Now he just needed to decide on their names. He had selected two names for each gender, but now, he needed to choose which ones seemed best suited to these little innocent turtles. 

“So what are their names, Donatello?” Raph urged. “We’d all like to know.” 

“I chose Sebastian for the boy, and Gaia for the girl,” Don decided. 

“Gaia and Sebastian,” Jane repeated. “That sounds nice. What do the names mean?” 

“Sebastian means ‘venerable and revered.’ Gaia means ‘Earth,’” Don explained. “Gaia was the Earth goddess in Greek mythology.”

“Those are good names,” Leo complimented. 

“At least their names won’t have the same ending sound, so it’ll be easier to tell them apart,” Raph said, pointing to his three bros. “You three’s names have such similar endings.” 

“Yes, they do,” Splinter agreed. “I am glad that you picked names that are unique.” 

Don yawned. “Thanks, Sensei.” 

“Why don’t we let Donatello have some bonding time with his twins,” Jane advised. “He’s waited a long time to meet them.” 

Don smiled. “Thanks, Jane.”

“You’re welcome. Let’s give them some bonding time and quiet time.” Jane shooed everyone out of the room. 

Donatello looked down at the two sleeping babies in his arms. 

“You two don’t know how happy I am to finally meet you both. It has been a long time waiting for you to come. I thought this day would never get here, but now it finally has. I know I won’t be perfect, but I promise to be the best father I can be to you both. And you also have three uncles, plus a grandfather and human aunt who will help you - and a doctor too,” Don told his twins. 

He gave them both a kiss and settled back down into sleep. 

When Jane went to check on them later, she found them all sleeping. It brought a smile to her face, but she felt it better to place the baby turtles in their bassinets. It was safer for the babies, and Don could get the rest he really needed for his recovery. 

Even though the twins were now out of Don’s body, he was still in no condition to train or fight. It would take four to six months at the least for him to get back to normal. Jane was not looking forward to explaining that she had been forced to remove his gallbladder. 

Jane left the bassinets close to the bed while Don slept, so that he would find them and not freak out when he woke up. Jane figured she would do the paternity test later in the week. Don would be strongly attached to them, but she knew that the other turtles wanted to know if the twins were theirs too.  

Jane smiled at the happy father and his two new babies. She knew the twins were probably a lot more comfortable now that they had their own leg room and could move more freely. Donatello was not built for carrying children, so they had been awfully cramped inside of him. 

Gaia and Sebastian had been born on May 9th of the year 1995. The guys didn’t know their official birthdays, but they had picked their own special days anyway. 

The whole family was glad the worst was finally over, and that Donatello had had a successful surgery to bring the babies into the world. They had waited all those long months to finally meet them. 

April called Irma, and the two exchanged greetings. “I have some good news. Donatello’s twins are finally here!” April announced. 

“That’s good. Girls or boys?” Irma asked. 

“One boy and one girl. Sebastian is the boy, and Gaia is the girl.” April explained. 

“I can’t wait to meet them when we come back for our wedding,” Irma said. “Do they look like Donatello?”

“Yes, but the turtles all look so much alike. The guys all want to know if they are related to the twins as fathers,” April told her friend. “Jane’s going to do paternity tests later on to find out for sure.”

The two chatted for a while, then said their goodbyes and hung up. Irma told Howie the good news, and they toasted to the babies’ good health. 

Mike also called Zach and told him about the twins. Zach was thrilled for them.   
……………..

A couple of hours later, the twins began crying and woke Donatello. He tried to get up in a hurry to calm them. 

“Ow!” He winced as he held his stomach. It was still plenty painful. 

His brothers and Jane came in when they heard the crying. They saw that Don was awake and trying to get up. 

“Take it easy, Donatello,” Jane advised. “You can’t get up too fast, or you could tear your stitches.”

“I want to hold my babies,” Don pleaded. 

Jane nodded. “I understand, but just take it slow getting up.”

Leo and Raph had already gotten to the twins and picked them up. “They’re probably just hungry,” Leo guessed. “We haven’t fed them yet.” 

“I want to feed them,” Don said outright. “They are my kids. But are they going to take formula, or baby food?” 

“We’ll try a bottle first,” Jane recommended. April and Splinter went to the kitchen to make them. 

“You can only feed one at a time, Donatello,” Raph said. 

“I know that,” Don replied. 

“Which one do you want to feed first?” Jane asked. 

“Gaia,” Don answered. 

Mike frowned. “They are both hungry. They both need to be fed.”

“One of you can feed Sebastian,” Don suggested. “I’ll feed him the next time around.”

April brought in a bottle for Don to feed his daughter. “I hope she likes this.”

“Me too,” Don agreed. 

April handed him the bottle. Don got Gaia comfortable, and tried to get the nipple into her mouth. Her little hands fussed, as she wasn’t used to this.  
   
“Come on, Gaia, just trying to feed ya,” Don soothed. If she didn’t take to the bottle, then he knew it would have to be baby food. She didn’t have teeth like he did. 

Eventually, some milk got into her mouth and she stopped fussing for a moment to taste it. It took a moment for her to process it, that it tasted good. She began reaching for more. 

Donatello tried again, and this time, she took the bottle into her mouth. 

Leonardo was having the same struggle with Sebastian. In the end, Leo got the baby boy to take his food as well. 

Then there came the burping after the feeding. The guys had learned how to do it too. It had been vital since they all needed to know how to take care of the twins. 

Jane and April stepped in afterward and put diapers on the twins. Even though the turtles had not been born human, there was enough human DNA in them to make these two new baby turtles as dependent as real human babies were on their parents. 

Donatello was lucky he had a loving family around to help him take care of these two little angels. After the rigors of pregnancy and surgery, he wouldn’t have been able to do it alone.   
…………….

Later in the week, as promised, Jane took some blood from each turtle and ran the paternity tests. She studied each baby’s DNA alongside each older turtle‘s. 

In the end, Gaia was fully Don’s daughter, and Sebastian was fully his son. The others weren’t too surprised. They were satisfied just being uncles.


	20. Chapter 20

In the days following the birth, Donatello was glad to have his body back to himself, and he was getting used to not feeling the twins moving around inside him anymore. He was still on bed rest because of how sore he was. It was going to take some time before Don would be able to function like he had. 

His family was more than happy to take care of the twins when he needed rest. After all, he had put in nine months of nonstop care for them all on his own. Now it was their turns to help the new father turtle out. 

Donatello took turns feeding Gaia and Sebastian throughout the day. He could only feed one at a time. The family couldn’t get enough of how cute these little turtles were, and liked to compete over whose turn it was to hold them.  
………….

It had been three weeks. Now that the good weather was back, Don wanted to be able to move freely without disturbance. Jane said he could start moving about slowly, so he wouldn’t develop blood clots in his legs.  

Now that things were more under control, Jane figured it was time for her to depart. She had to get back to work. The others should be able to handle things by now. If they had questions, they were welcome to call her. 

After Don had a month of recovery under his belt, they all traveled back to New York. April went back to her apartment, and the turtles returned to the lair. Everyone was happy to be home again.  
Leo, Mike, and Raph all hauled in the heavy stuff. Don was still recovering from surgery, and only lifted lighter, smaller items. He still couldn’t bend his healing midsection. 

Splinter’s old room was now the nursery. Splinter went to his new room to settle down after the long trip. It still seemed like it was a dream, but his grandchildren were finally here. He was completely happy for his son. Donatello had done a remarkable job during his pregnancy to bring the two little miracles into the world. 

Donatello was happy to finally see Gaia and Sebastian settled into their own room in the lair, once the cradles had been brought in. 

The others were glad to see them in there too. They were so peaceful as they slept. They all went on to finish unpacking, very quietly. They wanted the twins to feel comfortable in their new home.  
…………….

In the days that followed, Don’s brothers returned to patrolling the city while Don was still at home recovering. Jane recommended at least 16 weeks of rest following the surgery before he could return to training and patrols. For now, Don was glad to be home taking care of his babies. 

In June, Irma and Howie returned to New York for their wedding. They both finally got to meet Sebastian and Gaia. 

“Aw! They are so cute, Donatello,” Irma said. 

Don smiled. “Thanks, Irma,” he replied happily. 

“How old are they now?” Howie asked as he was holding Gaia. 

“Five weeks,” Don answered. 

Irma looked for any signs that Don had been pregnant. He had lost a lot of weight since having the twins. His stomach had been so big when she had first moved away. Now, he looked nearly back to normal. There were stretch marks on his sides, as well as the surgery scar on his front, but other than that, he was fine. 

After meeting the twins, Howie and Irma introduced the turtles and April to the priest that was going to oversee the ceremony. He had been told about the turtles and would keep their secret. He even saw the twins and was in awe of them, thinking they were adorable as well. 

The wedding was going to be in a church. It was just a small, private wedding with their closest friends. 

April had a nice dress that she was going to wear, as she was going to be Irma’s Maid of Honor. Jane was coming too. And, with the proper measurements, Gaia would be wearing a dress as well. 

The turtles all had their own tuxes. Splinter was going to be wearing a different, but special, kimono for the occasion. Sebastian was also wearing a little boy’s tux. Everyone attending had nice clothes to wear. 

June 18th was the day of the wedding. It would be on a Saturday. There was a rehearsal dinner two nights before the wedding. 

The night before the wedding, April and Jane threw a bachelorette party. They wanted to give Irma the party of a lifetime before she became a married woman. Drinking alcohol was avoided. They wanted to have fun without having hangovers.

The turtles threw Howie a bachelor party, since he couldn’t see Irma before the wedding. Don was well enough to attend. They dressed as humans as much as possible. Splinter wished them a good time, but stayed home to look after the twins.

They avoided drinking at the bachelor party as well. The night was exhausting for them all, but they all had great fun. The wedding wasn’t until 3 pm the next day, so they all could get some sleep before it started. 

The humans all stayed in a hotel, while the turtles went home. They came home to crying babies and got them fed and settled down for the night. It happened a few times during the night - feeding, changing, soothing again. It was exhausting to be new parents, but it was worth it. At least the turtles didn’t have daily jobs in public to go to. 

Howie had chosen Leonardo for his best man. He knew he was the leader of the turtles and he held the title responsibly. Leo greatly accepted the honor. 

Splinter was going to walk Irma down the aisle, as the father figure. Irma had no family to speak of. The mutants were her family and friends, the closest ones she had, other than April. And now, Howie was going to be her man. 

The turtles had never been in a normal human church before, and this was their first time going to a wedding. Sure, they had seen plenty of them on TV, but this was the real thing. 

The priest helped Howie out with what he needed, like his tie. He was an older man that was very kind-hearted to all creatures. He was a little chubby, and balding with a ring of hair at the base of his skull. He had pale, blue eyes and stood about 5’2. His name was Father Reynard. 

Soon, they were ready. Howie and Father Reynard went out first to stand at the front. Everyone had practiced what they were going to do at the rehearsal dinner. 

Leo and April walked down the aisle first. Don came next, holding Gaia, as she was the little flower girl, even if she couldn’t throw flowers. Raph came next, holding Sebastian, and Mike was the ring bearer. He was next to Jane. Jane was the only bridesmaid. The turtles all had on tuxes that were black, with ties that were the same as their mask colors. Zach had wanted to come too, and was there. 

Then, it was time for Splinter and Irma. Splinter had on a dark blue kimono. He wanted to stick with Japanese attire. Irma had kept the wedding dress she had bought a few years ago when she thought she was going to marry a sailor. Now it was going to be useful. 

Splinter made sure that Irma was ready to walk down the aisle, and she had her right arm on his left, as he led her down the aisle. He was proud to do her this honor. 

Irma saw how handsome Howie looked, wearing a tux with his hair all gelled up. To Howie, Irma couldn’t have looked more beautiful in her white dress and veil. 

Splinter walked her up to the front, and he handed her off to Howie. Then, he went to sit with his sons. 

Father Reynard went through the same statements and vows of a standard wedding, which is what the happy couple wanted. They were glad when it was over and they finally kissed. 

When they finished kissing, Father Reynard announced, “I now give you Mr. and Mrs. Howard Hardy.”

The others all proudly clapped for them. Don and Raph had to be careful while holding the babies as they clapped. 

Then came the reception. The guys all had chances to dance with the bride, and April danced with Howie. The bride and groom even held the babies for a dance. It was all smooth and careful. There was dinner and the cake. 

Donatello was protective of his twins, but he knew those around him for this wedding were trustworthy, so he didn’t have a problem with his babies being held by his family. It gave him a break. 

The reception lasted a good three hours. It was all beautiful. Then, Howie and Irma went out to a car. 

April and Jane got up in front as Irma threw her flowers. Jane caught them. They all got a laugh out of it. 

It was now time for Irma and Howie to say goodbye for the honeymoon. There were some hugs and kisses given and then the bride and groom climbed into the car and drove away. The honeymoon was going to be in the Caribbean Islands.  

It had been a small, but cute wedding. Now they could all go home. It had been fun, but they were feeling exhausted. They were ready to get out of their wedding clothes. 

Jane and April went to their homes. Splinter and the turtles all went back to their lair where the turtles all got out of their formal clothes and back into their usual ninja gear. Splinter went back to his dark pink kimono. 

They all gathered in the living room, sitting down after a long day. Don and Leo were feeding the twins, when Splinter spoke up. “So, what did you all think of the wedding, my sons?” 

Mike laughed. “It was a real blast, Master Splinter. I’m still on high from the dancing!” 

“It was super fun,” Leo said. 

“It was fun dancing with the bride,” Raph agreed.

“And, it was our first wedding that we’ve attended,” Don said. “We couldn’t have asked for a better outcome for Irma. I think it was the best day we’ve had in a long time, and it even included my kids.” He smiled. 

“Yes, it was an amazing day,” Splinter added. “We can all wish them a very happy marriage.” 

“Irma had been wanting to be married for the longest time. It was sometimes annoying, but she finally got what she wanted,” Raph said. 

“Did you ever have feelings for her, Donatello?” Leo asked. 

Don looked at his leader. “No. She was just my friend. I had no interest in her other than as a friend. I’m happy for her that she found someone.” 

“Do you ever want to be with someone?” Mike asked.

“Someday, maybe. As long as they accept me for who and what I am, and what I like to do. I could never give up creating inventions or studying science and math. I would have to find time to spend with them, while still doing everything else that I love.” Don explained his thoughts should he someday find a girl for himself. 

“Speaking of girlfriends, I really need to go spend time with Mona,” Raphael said. “I haven’t seen her for a while.”

“Alright, Raphael. You should bring her by again sometime,” Splinter suggested. 

Leo nodded. “She should meet the twins.”

“Yeah, she can be another female role model for them, especially as the only female mutant that we know,” Don considered. “Of course, April and Irma were turned into mutant creatures a few times too, but we always made sure they were turned back into humans again.”

“Yeah, I’ll bring her over some day,” Raphael agreed. “She does want to meet the babies. She just likes to hang out at her home more because it’s quieter, and it gives her the space she needs to work on her science projects. She’s still into that. Not my strong point.”

Raphael then left the lair to go to Mona Lisa’s home and spend some time with her. She hadn’t felt up to attending the wedding, even though she had been invited. 

After Raph was gone, the rest of them sat down in the living room to relax, eating some pizza and sushi while watching the evening news and feeding the twins their dinner. 

Sebastian calmed down in anyone’s arms when he wanted attention. He knew who his family was by now. Gaia knew too, but she calmed down a lot easier in Don’s arms. She was her daddy’s girl. His soft voice was very soothing to her.


	21. Chapter 21

When Donatello made it to his sixth week following surgery, Mona Lisa was invited over to meet the twins and spend some time with the family. She hadn’t been over for some time, many months in fact, and she had never seen Don while he was pregnant. She had been away for a while, but she was back now. 

When Raphael had said she didn’t feel well last week, it was because of a touch of a cold. But she was better now and ready to meet the new additions. 

“Hey guys. Long time, no see,” Mona greeted. 

“Hi, Mona Lisa,” Leo replied with a smile. “It’s been a long time.” 

“I know, but I’ve been keeping busy. I heard of new babies down here. I’d like to meet them,” she said. 

Don perked up. “Sure, right this way.”

The family led her to the nursery where Gaia and Sebastian were. They were sleeping at the moment. 

“Aww! They are just darling, guys.” Mona kept her voice down. “Can I pick them up?”

“Sure,” Don agreed. “Just handle them gently.”

“I know how to do that. Most women know how to hold babies gently,” she said. 

Mona first picked up Gaia. “So, what’s this one’s name?” 

“That’s the girl, Gaia,” Mike told her. 

“And who’s the other one?” 

“My son, Sebastian,” Don answered. 

“Are they both yours? You should do a paternity test,” Mona suggested. 

“We have. They are both Donatello’s,” Leo said. 

Mona laid the baby girl down and then picked up Sebastian. 

“Do you ever think about having kids?” Mike asked her. 

Mona looked over at him. “Someday maybe. I’m not quite ready for them yet.” 

“At first, I didn’t feel ready for these little guys,” Donny sympathized. “It took many months for us all to get prepared. But these babies were also forced on me. I didn’t really have a choice, but now I wouldn’t give them up for the world.” 

“I may be a girl, but even I wouldn’t want babies forced on me. I’m sorry you were forced into it, Donatello. But if you don’t mind, would I be considered their aunt?” Mona asked him. 

“Of course you are. Gaia could use a female mutant in her life,” Don reasoned. 

“Who was your doctor while you were pregnant?” Mona wondered. “If it was any of the others, it could have been you.” 

“Dr. Jane Goodfellow. She’s the head veterinarian at the zoo,” Mike explained. 

“I’ve heard of her. She’s good to have around,” Mona approved. 

Sebastian woke up in her arms and began to get fussy. He had never seen this strange mutant lizard female before. He wanted one of his family. 

“Here, Donatello. I think he wants you,” Mona said. She handed him to his father to calm down. 

“He’s usually pretty relaxed in anyone’s arms. I guess he just didn’t know you,” Don reasoned. 

Mona smiled. “They will as they get older. Thanks for having me over to meet them.”

“You’re quite welcome, Miss Mona Lisa,” Splinter said. 

After that, they all had some lunch together and talked some more, until it was time to feed the twins again. Don let Raph and Mike feed them this time. Mona even got to see how gentle Raph was with a baby. 

Mona pondered one day having her own kids with the turtle she loved so much. She was seeing a good candidate for a possible father. He was good with the kids. Of course, all the turtles were, but Donny was the father to these two. She felt for him, that he didn’t have a girl to help him raise these little angels. 

It was a nice day to just hang out and soon, around five, Mona felt that she was ready to go home to the lair she had made down here in the sewers. It wasn’t too far from the turtles’ lair, but she wanted her privacy too. 

She shared a love of chemistry and science with Don. She had gotten better at it over the last few years. But she treated Don more like a brother and friend. He wasn’t romantically interested in her anyway. 

Mona gave them all hugs goodbye and left the lair. 

The turtles all sat down to watch a movie before evening training. Donatello was still not allowed to train yet, but he was beginning to get restless. He wanted to start partaking in it again, but it was doctor’s orders that he couldn’t train for at least ten more weeks.   
…………….

Floyd was getting things ready for his next recapture of the turtles. This time, he aimed for some more diversity among them. He had a plan for it.  
……………

Two weeks later, Jane did another exam on Donatello to make sure he was completely well again. 

There was a noticeable scar on his plastron from where his surgery had been, but he wasn’t in any pain. There were some slightly visible stretch marks on the skin too, even though his stomach had mostly gone back to the way it was before the pregnancy. There was still a little bit of baby fat to lose, but it was coming off with proper diet and exercise. 

Jane did another ultrasound on him to check on his internal organs for the sixth week marker. 

Donatello had been told of his gallbladder being removed during his surgery as well, and he was not in pain from that either. He knew it had served a function before his pregnancy and many creatures could live without it if it malfunctioned. He had never really heard of a turtle having issues with it, but then, he would be the first one he knew. 

Jane finished viewing the organs and turned off the ultrasound. “Everything looks to be in working order, Donatello. You are in very good health. You still have a couple of extra pounds to loose, but you’ll get there. Just a few more weeks.” 

“Thanks, Jane,” Don said. 

“And I’m glad to see that the twins are doing very well too.” 

“Thanks. We are making sure they are well cared for. We have sacrificed sleep and patrols for them. The guys have even put off training when they had to help care for the twins,” Don explained. 

Jane nodded. “Their needs will always come first.” 

“Could I be able to do some lighter katas, as long as I’m careful?” Don asked her. 

“I don’t see why not. Just small ones that don’t stress your plastron,” Jane ordered. 

“I can do that. Can I go topside again, other than here? I miss going out with the guys,” he asked. 

“Sure, but no fighting,” she replied. 

Don thanked her again and he left the clinic. This exam had been for him only this time. Gaia and Sebastian had been examined days earlier. All of the turtles had brought them in to make sure they were growing well and getting the right nutrition. 

That evening, Donatello told the others that he had been cleared to resume katas. He knew he had a lot to catch up on. 

Splinter wanted to start Donatello on some of his former katas first. This would just be the first step in getting him back to peak. All in all, recovery would take about ten more weeks. 

When it came to training, the older mutants always made sure that the twins were content first. If they started crying, they would put training on hold until the babies calmed down. 

Don might have been all male, but he was the most attracted to the cries his babies made. He always wanted to make sure they were alright. He was a very doting and loving father. Even his inventions were less important now, but he would work on them after he made sure his brothers, April, or Splinter were looking after the twins. He barely let them out of his sight. 

He didn’t really let them into his lab unless he was examining them, because it could get noisy in there when he worked. He didn’t want the noise to disturb them. 

He was also back to joining his brothers on the streets. His clothes were starting to fit like normal again. He no longer had to worry about danger to his midsection quite so much, but there was still a slight danger since it was still recovering, but that was why he was still vigilant.


	22. Chapter 22

A couple of months passed. 

Floyd’s men were seeing the turtles on the streets a lot more now that it was late summer time again. Even the purple-wearing turtle was among them. They never saw any signs of little tiny babies. Of course, the turtles weren’t going to bring the babies above ground unless it was in the van, even then it was only to the zoo clinic or to April’s home. 

Floyd was determined to give the turtles more babies, now that he knew his experiment had worked the first time. Though he wanted to do it again on Donatello, he wanted to do it on one or two of the others as well. They needed varied genetics among the future offspring. 

One day, in late August, Floyd’s men were ready for the turtles once again. This time, Leonardo and Raphael were bringing back some pizzas for dinner. 

Floyd’s hired thugs were watching from the shadows in some alleys and rooftops. From one roof, one of them phoned Floyd. “Boss, we have two turtles that just went into the pizzeria.” 

Floyd responded, “Is the purple-wearing one one of them?” 

“No. From what I could see, it was the blue and red ones.” 

“Perfect. I’ll get the purple one another time, but these two will do nicely for now. Bring them to me,” Floyd ordered. 

“Yes, Sir.” The humans were ready to strike yet again. 

Leo and Raph were coming out of the pizzeria with their arms full of pizza boxes, and approaching an alley manhole cover. Suddenly, they found themselves surrounded. 

“Hello, Turtles. Good to see you again,” the lead fighter said. 

Leo and Raph dropped the boxes and removed their trench coats, making it easier to grab their weapons. 

“What do you want?” Leo demanded. 

“Our boss wants you two,” the leader replied. 

“Like we’ll give him that satisfaction!” Raph remarked sarcastically. 

“You are the men of Floyd Row, aren’t you?” Leo asked.

“Yes. How astute of you, Blue,” one of them answered. 

“You won’t get us without a fight,” Leo exclaimed. 

Floyd’s team tensed in preparation. “We were so hoping it would be this way.” 

The men then attacked. They loved going up against these turtles. 

Leo’s swords clashed with other swords and tonfas. Raph’s sais clashed with swords, bos, and other weapons. They got some good kicks in too. 

There were two men hidden away at a distance, ready with tranquilizer guns. 

Soon, there were openings. One of the marksmen shot his dart into Raph’s right shoulder. 

Raphael felt a sharp prick. “Ah!” he winced. He pulled out the dart, and then his vision grew fuzzy. 

Leonardo had heard his brother’s yelp of pain and turned to see Raphael holding a needle. Leo then felt one himself, in his neck. He winced and pulled his out too. 

It wasn’t long before they both were out cold. 

The men were satisfied once the two turtles were unconscious. They took out their phones and left the weapons and food where they had fought. The others could find the food and weapons for all they cared.

Leo and Raph were taken to the lab and tied down. They were attached to heart monitors and then anesthetized. 

Floyd was glad the two had arrived without injuries. He and his fellow scientists got to work. He documented which ones they were first. The one with the L on his belt was Leonardo, and the one with the R was Raphael. 

The scientists began taking DNA and semen samples. The DNA in the turtles’ mutagen was combined with some other mutagen that Floyd had come up with before. This was the same mutagen that he had used on Donatello. He would now use it on these two. 

Flora, Floyd’s favorite assistant, was looking after unfertilized turtle eggs. These scientists wanted pure turtles, normal first, then mutant upon fertilization. 

The sperm was looked at and both samples were fertile. Both Leo’s and Raph’s sperm were put into microtubes and were injected into a few eggs each. The microscopic cells began to divide. The fertilization was successful, and new life was beginning again! 

Floyd kept the turtles under sedation, and injected the new mutagen into Leo and Raph’s stomachs. 

The eggs were then frozen for the next few hours. The new wombs needed a little bit of time to form before the injection of the embryos.   
…………….

Back home, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Splinter were hungry and waiting for their dinner. 

“Man, when are they going to be back? I’m starving,” Mike complained. 

“They should be back soon, Michelangelo,” Don said. 

Each turtle had a baby nestled in their lap, nursing from a bottle. Don fed Sebastian this time, while Mike had Gaia. 

But after feeding, changing and putting the twins to bed and Leo and Raph still weren’t home, that was cause for concern. It had been over two hours now. It didn’t take them that long to get pizza. 

“That’s strange. They should have come back by now,” Don said. 

“I don’t like this,” Mike fretted. 

“Call them, Donatello,” Splinter ordered. Even he was a little worried. 

Donatello took out his turtle com and dialed Leo’s com. The leader didn’t pick up. “That’s strange. Leonardo’s not answering.” 

Mike called Raphael’s only to have the same result. “Raphael’s not answering either.” 

“You go and find out what is going on, my students. I will stay and look after the twins,” Splinter said. 

“Yes, Sensei,” Don replied. 

Mike and Don both made sure to take their weapons and turtle coms. They tracked the signals to the alley where the last battle had taken place. Donatello was now allowed to fully train and fight again. 

When they found the pizzas on the ground, along with the weapons and phones, there was major cause for concern. Leonardo and Raphael were gone! 

Donatello called Splinter. “We found Raphael and Leonardo’s weapons and turtle coms, but they are gone - taken!” Don explained. 

“Do you know who could have done it?” Splinter asked. 

“I have a hunch,” Don answered. 

“Who?” Mike asked. 

“Floyd Row. I wouldn’t doubt it,” Don said seriously. “I think he wants me back, that’s why he would take them.” 

“We will find them, dude,” Mike said. 

“Be careful, my students,” Splinter warned. 

Donatello didn’t want to think about what they could be doing to his brothers. There were no other real enemies at this point that totally targeted them, other than this Floyd guy. He had claimed to be a helper to them, but given that he wouldn’t leave them alone, he had become an enemy in their eyes. 

They would get Leonardo and Raphael back, one way or another.   
…………..

At one point, the anesthesia was beginning to wear off on one of the turtles; Raphael. But that dilemma was quickly solved as he was put under the gas again. 

It had been over twenty-four hours since they were taken by Row’s men. Now it was time for exams and the next stage of the plan. 

Scans over Leo and Raph’s bodies showed the new wombs were now in place. Floyd was pleased that it had worked like it had before. He had Flora go get the frozen embryos. 

The embryos thawed and Flora put them into syringes. She then used the ultrasound to guide the needle, and implanted the embryos into their new fathers-to-be. 

Leo had been injected with three, while Raph had been injected with two. 

Floyd had insisted on multiples, just in case one or two wouldn’t make it to term. Even though these two were satisfactory to add to the diversity of the offspring, he still would have liked Donatello to be one of them. And then, there was also Michelangelo. But he would wait on that one. There would be enough babies to take care of for awhile. Maybe in a few years for the last turtle. 

Floyd was aiming for live births, rather than eggs. Incubation of eggs was tricky. The temperature had to be just right, and if the eggs were cracked or got turned around somehow, the baby would die in the egg. Floyd just figured live births were faster, even if a long pregnancy took a toll on the parents. The way he saw it, it would be worth it to add to their family.

The three turtles who didn’t always think about pizza were going to be the parents of the turtles for now, with the smart one’s babies being the oldest.

Floyd was rather glad that he had given Donatello babies first. He liked the idea of the smart turtle having some babies the most and wanted to give him more. He was planning on waiting a few years and going after Donatello, along with Michelangelo. That was, if the turtles didn’t try to find and put him behind bars first. Floyd knew they were hyped to do that to people that they considered to be enemies. 

Floyd didn’t want to be considered an enemy, just a helper on the side. Humans forced animals into pregnancy all the time, even without mates. The only difference here was that he was turning male turtles somewhat female-like, at least just for the pregnancies. After that, they would still be all males. And he knew the babies all had to be born surgically. 

Now that Leonardo and Raphael were considered pregnant, he ordered his men to take them back to the destination point of capture. He knew their family must be looking for them by now, it had been over a day. 

The men did as instructed. The drugs would soon be wearing off.   
…………….

Splinter, Don, Mike, and April, plus Zach and Walt were out searching for their missing comrades. 

It had only been a day and a half, but they were worried. Donatello knew that Floyd was looking for them again, and maybe he had taken his bros. Maybe he had decided to keep them for longer? He hoped not. 

The family already had their hands full with Don’s twins. They couldn’t take care of more babies. 

Right now, they deemed it that they couldn’t travel alone. They didn’t want to take chances. The mutants were staying hidden in the shadows, but the humans had more freedom.

They were looking through some back alleys when Splinter got a strange feeling all of a sudden. He felt it had to do with Leo and Raph. 

“What’s wrong, Sensei?” Don asked from behind him. 

“I have a feeling that Raphael and Leonardo are nearby,” Splinter said. 

“Let’s hope so,” Mike said. 

Splinter led his sons to where he was certain Leo and Raph were. Sure enough, the two missing turtles were laying in the alley where they had been captured. Don and Mike had checked here before and found their brothers gone, but now, they were back. 

Leo and Raph were starting to recover from the drugs in their system. They were beginning to get their bearings again. They both moaned and held their heads. Then they heard their names being called. 

“Leonardo! Raphael!” It was their family. 

“Are you alright?” Splinter asked. 

“Whoa, calm down, guys. I can barely get anything right now,” Raph said. He was rather dizzy. 

“You’ve been drugged,” Don explained. “Let’s get you up and back to the lair.” 

Don and Mike helped them to their feet, with an arm around their shoulders. April was watching the twins at the moment. 

“Do you know where you have been for the past two days?” Splinter asked. 

“No, but we have a hunch. Floyd’s men attacked us,” Leo said. 

“I know I must have been seeing things very vividly at one time. I swear I saw scientists walking around me in a dream.” Raph described what he had been seeing before being knocked out again. 

“It must have been Floyd,” Donatello said. “And, I bet I know what he did to you.” 

“What?” Leo asked, still in a hazy state. 

“He probably impregnated you like he did with me. He wants us to have more babies,” Don declared. 

“I don’t want to be pregnant!” Raph complained. “That’s a girl’s job.” 

“We should have them examined, Donatello,” Splinter advised. 

“Yes. Just to be on the safe side, but we should let them sleep off the drugs first. I’ll do what I can for them at the lair, Sensei,” Don said. 

“They don’t look hurt at all,” Mike pointed out. 

“No, just drugged,” Don agreed. 

They got Leo and Raph back to the lair and to their rooms, where they were sent to bed to sleep off the rest of the drugs. Then they would worry about getting them into the clinic for exams. Don could even examine them right here at home now, with the ultrasound he had been given. He would scan them for any internal injuries as well. But if it really was Floyd, he had a feeling he knew what had been done to his brothers. 

April was worried too. She wanted to know right away if anything was wrong. For now, she went home to rest.   
……………

After going to bed and sleeping off the drugs, Leo and Raph soon came to again and were wanting something to eat. 

“You guys can have something to eat after I examine you. You have been missing for two days and I need to make sure that nothing is wrong internally,” Don told them. 

They were a little uncomfortable about it, but consented to the exams. 

Leonardo needed to know because, as leader, he held the highest responsibility. He agreed to go first, and got on Don’s medical table to let his genius brother do a quick check of his vitals, and if he had sustained any injuries.

Donatello found no broken bones, but then he told Leo to take his belt off his stomach. This he had to check on for sure. 

Leo took his belt off and laid back. Don put the gel on his brother’s lower belly. It felt weird having the slimy goo on his belly. 

Donatello moved the wand around to where he was certain he would find what he was looking for. Ever since his own pregnancy, he had gotten to know more about internal organs. 

It took some careful searching, but Don eventually found what he was looking for. He didn’t want to believe it. He sighed heavily. 

Leo could tell Don had found something when he let that sigh go. “What’s wrong?” 

“It’s just as I thought. Floyd Row has created a female womb inside of you. I don’t see any embryos yet, though. Not to say that they aren’t there. They’d be way too small right now to detect on an ultrasound at this point. I’d better take some blood.” 

Leo was now sitting up again as Don took some blood from his lead brother. 

Raphael had watched what had been done to Leo, and knew he was next. He hated needles. But then, who didn’t? 

Don took Raph’s blood, did an external exam, and then performed an ultrasound.

Raph was disappointed that he was found to have this female organ now too. “Like I said, I don’t want to be pregnant, after watching you go through everything,” he said to Don. 

“Pregnancy is a life changing experience, but then, you get to feel things that you never have before, Raphael. The baby's movements. Your mind just seems to open up more. You realize more things than you did before. Depends on how open minded you are, but then, maybe it was just what I realized when I carried my babies because I am so open minded about certain experiences, and being a scientist myself.” Don explained his thoughts. 

“It was still too early to tell if we are pregnant?” Leo asked.

“Yes. I should be able to get a better look in another month. You might start getting sick too with the morning sickness like I had in the beginning,” Don cautioned. “Just watch yourselves. Jane could examine you too if needed. After all, she has way more experience monitoring pregnancy than I do.” 

Leo and Raph knew she would have to be involved too. They had just woken up and found out that they could be pregnant. Now they had a sense of what Don had gone through, and it was pretty scary. Going through nine more months of this would be scary as well, that is, if they allowed themselves to go through with it to the end.


	23. Chapter 23

The next day, after some rest, Donatello took some blood from both of his brothers to see if there had been any changes. He had learned much from Jane over the time that he had been pregnant and was determined to be his family’s doctor when they needed him to be. 

He ran the blood through a hematology analyzer machine, looking for abnormal levels of estrogen or progesterone as he knew it would be too early to detect hCG levels. 

Leo and Raph were worried about what Don would find. They were anxiously waiting in the living room with Splinter and Mike. 

Leo jumped up when Donny came out of his lab. “So what did you find out, Donatello?” he asked nervously. 

“It’s too early to tell, but I did detect a rise in your estrogen and progesterone levels.” Don explained. 

“What if Jane took a look?” Mike suggested. 

“She’ll probably just say the same thing, but yes, let's call her to make sure. We need to get her here right away to see if there is anything she can do,” Don said. “In the meantime, drink plenty of fluids to help flush the toxins out.” 

Donatello called Jane right away and had her come over to the lair to examine Leonardo and Raphael as a sense of urgency was in the air. Don told her what was going on over the phone. 

Jane knew that it would be too early to detect any pregnancy hormones. She had brought some morning after pills should the boys decide to not continue their pregnancies. It had a 74 hour window before they wouldn't be any good, but taking it within 24 hrs had a greater effectiveness rate. Jane brought a portable ultrasound machine and located the artificial wombs. 

Leo and Raph had big choices to make, and very little time to do it. 

"Guys, I'll leave these pills with Donatello in case you do decide to make sure that you don't want to become pregnant," Jane said. "But if you don’t want to be pregnant and you use the plan B pills, I will have to remove the uteruses, because I believe leaving them could lead to multiple medical issues.”

"Thanks, Jane." Don said. 

"I know your pregnancies are not natural, and I am greatly concerned. And I hope you'll make the right decisions for yourselves. If you do continue with them, I'll be there for you. But don't take too long in your decisions," Jane warned them. 

"We will think good and hard, Jane. Thanks for coming to help us out," Leo declared. 

"You're welcome, Leonardo. Take care," Jane said as she left the lair. 

Don talked to his bros after Jane left. 

“What do you guys want to do?” Don asked. 

“I’m up for maybe being a father one day, but we are still teenagers. I don’t want to be pregnant, and especially not from that crazy lunatic who did this to us!” Raph said angrily. He crossed his arms to prove his point. 

Leo was thinking harder on this. “Nothing’s been proven yet, Raphael. Yes, what Floyd did to us, or attempted to do, is not natural. And, all this is a risk to our health if we decide to continue with it. We would be having to do a lot of what Donatello had to do. We could make this work.” 

“So, what are you saying, Leonardo?” Splinter asked. 

“I’m saying I want to give it a chance and see what happens,” Leo answered. 

“You might have the will to do it, but I don’t. I’ll stick to being an uncle for a while longer before becoming a father. Mona Lisa has told me she wants to be a mother one day, and I’ll be happy to be the father of her kids, but, when we are ready for them, not having some idiot force kids on us when we aren’t ready for them,” Raph declared. “I want to stop this before it starts.”  

“I’m looking forward to teaching ninjitsu to students of my own. I know Master Splinter isn’t going to be here forever, and when I’m the sensei, I look forward to teaching them martial arts,” Leo said happily. 

“That figures. You are so heavy on the training,” Mike remarked. 

“I know you will be a fine father, Leonardo,” Splinter praised. 

“I do want to be a father, Sensei, and like Donatello, we don’t know when, or if, we would ever find a girl who will love us and be willing to have our kids. I know it’s risky, but Donatello got through it with our help. This time, both he and Jane will be watching out for us. How can we be in better hands? I say I’m going to do it,” Leo said. 

Raph was still having his doubts. “I still want it stopped before it starts.” 

Donatello could see why Raphael wanted to stop his pregnancy. But, on the other hand, he was glad Leonardo was seeing why it could be more of a blessing. 

“Maybe you should go talk with Mona, Raphael.” Don suggested. “She is your girlfriend. It’s your decision, but you guys might want to talk about this together.” He gave Raph the pill and left his brother alone.  
……………

Raph went to his room and thought about what Don had said.

He was really scared and knew he wasn’t ready for kids, but Don had a point. Taking out his turtle com, he called Mona and asked her to come over.

“Hi, Raphael,” Mona greeted. “What’s up?” 

“You know what happened to Donatello awhile back? How he got his kids?” Raph began. 

“Yes,” Mona answered. 

“Well, the same human who did it to him went after me and Leo. Donatello and Jane thinks we’re both in the earliest stages of pregnancy.” 

Mona’s eyes widened. “You mean… that you and Leonardo are pregnant?” 

“Well, not quite yet, but possibly soon,” Raph explained.

Mona was shocked this was happening to her boyfriend. 

Sure, she wanted children, but this was so sudden. She would much rather have planned having kids with a mate when they were older. She and Raph were close - boyfriend and girlfriend, but they weren’t quite there yet. 

The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to be by Raph’s side. There wasn’t really much of anything going on in their lives. They didn’t have real jobs, or schooling that would have to be put on hold for having a baby, or babies. 

Maybe Raph could move in with her, to give the others some breathing room at the lair? Or, she could move in with them. They would need the help, but Mona really liked to have her privacy. She wanted her own home and family. She didn’t mind visits from the others, but if she and Raph were to be lovers and new parents someday, she preferred being on her own with her boyfriend. 

She thought that Donatello could make some beds for the babies, and she and April and the others could get things for the babies before they came. She had room in her lair to have some little bundles of joy in there.  

”I’m sorry it was forced on you. It would be a scary experience,” Mona sympathized. 

“I didn’t even know he did it. I was unconscious the whole time I was with him, but I started coming out of it a little. I just have blurry images to remember the humans who did this to me. They did it to Leonardo too, but he wants to continue his pregnancy. I’m just scared to go on with it. We’ll have too many babies to take care of when we both have ours at nearly the same time. That’s another reason I want to stop it before it starts. I’d much rather save mine for our time together.” Raph took her hand in his. 

“You could move in with me, to take some pressure off these guys, and we could take care of the ones you carry by ourselves. I’ve thought about it, and my life is pretty empty right now as it is. I don’t work at a real job, and I’m not studying for college anymore. We could have a new life together,” Mona explained. 

“You’re ready to be a mother now?” Raph asked, quite surprised. He didn’t think she was ready just yet. 

“I can be there for you. I want to be there for you. For your babies. For our babies of the future. Please, Raphael,” Mona begged. “This might be a once in a lifetime opportunity to have kids. What if I turn out to be infertile myself? Then there won’t be a chance like this again.” 

Raph thought about it for a moment. “It’s possible, but I doubt you’ll be infertile.” 

“I’m sure your babies will be just adorable.” Mona gave him a smile. “We’ll do this together. I’ll help you. Yes, I want to be a mother now.” 

Raph looked at her sincere face. She had a look of love, and it was for him. 

“If you’re sure about this…” he said. 

“Yes. I am, Raphael.” 

“Alright, I’ll do it for you. For us.” Raph kissed her hand. 

“I also really need my family’s support. Donatello’s the only one that’s gone through this before, and he’ll be our doctor,” Raph said. 

“That’s fine. And I’ll get my home prepared for the safety of the baby, or babies.” 

Raph and Mona went to talk to Don, telling him that if Raph did become pregnant, that they were ready for any babies that would come. 

Don was so happy for them, and knew that there was eventually going to be a lot of baby turtles running around the lair soon.

They began planning, Don suggesting that they go to April’s farmhouse before it was time to give birth. Mona planned to go with them this time. 

Raphael wanted to stay with his family until after his baby, or babies, were born. Then he would consider moving to Mona’s lair. 

As they were all growing up still, the babies were making the turtles grow up even faster. They had to take things seriously to take care of the new ones on the way.

Donatello looked at his calendar. It was July right now. All the babies his two brothers were expecting were due late in March or early April next year. He hoped not all the babies would have the same birthday, but it would be unique. 

Only time would tell if there really were babies on the way.   
…………..

A few weeks later, the same symptoms of morning sickness were beginning to show up in both Leo and Raph. Though Raph didn’t get quite as sick as Leo did. Leo had more of the vomiting issues. Raph had some nausea, but was able to keep food down more. 

Donatello took both his brothers to see Jane for their first ultrasound to confirm pregnancy, and to see how many both of them carried inside of them. 

Leo, always the brave one, went first. He knew that while being pregnant, he and Raph would have to endure a lot of that slimy, gooey gel for ultrasounds. 

Jane moved the wand over Leo’s plastron, and though they were small, Jane could make out three little black spots on the screen. 

“Wow, Leonardo, you are having more than Donatello did,” Jane said happily. 

“I am? How many?” Leo was scared about this too. 

“Triplets,” Don replied. 

“Triplets!” Leo gasped. 

It was a lot to take in, but it was soon over, and Leo had a picture of his new soon-to-be babies. Triplets! 

When it was Raph’s turn, he kept looking the other way. He wanted to know if he was pregnant for sure. 

Jane and Don both saw two little dark spots in the artificial womb. They were just right at the beginning. Jane double checked on them, and yes, it was official. There were five baby turtles on the way! 

Raph was glad that at least he wasn’t carrying three. But twins was going to have its challenges as well, like what Don had experienced.   
……………

Floyd did want to know if the two turtles he had tried to impregnate this time around were officially pregnant, and he would get a hold of them again. Even if it meant getting all four of them this time. He wanted to examine Donatello as well. The only one he hadn’t touched was Michelangelo. 

He wanted to hold off on Mike for a while longer. He knew that if Leo and Raph’s pregnancies were taking off now, that they might have too many babies to take care of all at once. But then, would every embryo make it?


	24. Chapter 24

Leo and Raph now knew what Donny had endured at the beginning of his pregnancy. 

They could end up getting sick any time of day, usually from unpleasant odors. Often it was from foods, but sometimes it was the sewer itself that could make them sick. 

Leonardo tended to get sick more from the smell of coffee, fish, and incense. He couldn’t be around Splinter’s incense anymore, and Splinter couldn’t eat his sushi around him. Don gave up coffee in the lair. He did drink coffee sometimes, but now, only when away from the lair. 

Raph ended up getting sick more from the smell of pizza, like Don had. He also didn’t do well with fish. 

It really seemed like Splinter’s love of sushi was a curse on all the turtles while they were pregnant. 

The way he had seen all three of his older brothers suffering through morning sickness, Mike knew that he didn’t want to go through it. He hated it when he overate and got sick that way. Sure, he liked kids, but he didn’t think he wanted to go through this at all. He would be happy to be a dad one day, but he hoped he would have a girl to give him any possible kids instead of a forced pregnancy. 

For a few weeks, the turtles didn’t go topside much at all until they were certain they could handle it better. But, getting out of the lair sometimes did them some good. At least going up and walking around town and not smelling certain foods was okay. 

Donatello and Michelangelo went up to the store to buy the foods that Don had eaten when he was in the beginning stages of his own pregnancy. These were the better food items to be eating right now for their pregnant brothers. Don didn’t want his brothers to lose too much weight. 

Gaia and Sebastian were still being well looked after by Leo and Raph while their brothers went out and did things for them. Splinter helped too. 

April also was told of the pregnancies and she was happy for them. It would give Don’s kids some cousins, but at the same time, genetic diversity for later in life. But, she was also worried for Mike. This could still be forced on him as well. This Floyd guy was resourceful.

April wrote to Irma and Howie and told them of the two more upcoming births - that it was Leonardo and Raphael this time. Irma wrote back saying she was surprised, but happy for them. 

April was concerned about how her friends were going to handle all these young babies at one time. Seven youngsters was definitely going to be a challenge. Don’s would be the oldest, but too young to help out.   
……………

Leo and Raph were managing to keep some of the healthy foods down. Peppermint water and tea also seemed to help settle their stomachs when they felt sick. 

Don monitored his brothers constantly to make sure that they were alright. They were beginning to get moody at times. They were tired a lot too. They just didn’t want to do much. 

Splinter didn’t let them train anymore, but he wanted them to at least find time to do katas and exercise. If they were feeling too sick to do so, then he didn’t force it on them. He wanted them to at least stay in shape and to practice defense, should they ever find themselves in a situation where they needed to protect themselves. 

It had been three weeks since the morning sickness had started and that meant that Leo and Raph were at least six weeks along. They still had a long way to go.  

Mona often came over to help out. She knew that her boyfriend was miserable right now, and she knew that if she was the pregnant one, he would be taking care of her. 

Even though Mona stayed in the sewers more often than the turtles, she did have her own disguises for going out in public. April sometimes took her out to do girly things, now that Irma was gone.  
……………

More time passed, and Floyd was getting ticked at all the waiting. He wanted to see how the turtles’ pregnancies were doing. It had been well over two months since he had seen them last, and he really wanted to conduct some examinations. He told his henchmen to keep an eye out for them.

If he didn’t find them soon, he felt he would lose it. He had a feeling that the turtles knew he would be watching for them. They had tried to ‘disappear’ on him, but he would find them, one way or another.   
……………

The turtles had been avoiding Vinnie’s for a while, as it was the place where they were always ambushed by Floyd’s men. Don and Mike still went out for pizza by themselves, but didn’t bring any back to the lair, because they didn’t want their pregnant bros to get sick. They had been going to other pizzerias around town. 

Floyd had sent his men to start searching at other pizzerias and restaurants around the city. He told his men to make a move only if he saw all four turtles together.

Leo and Raph didn’t want to leave the lair much right now. But occasionally, the four of them would go to a restaurant and get anything but pizza and fish. 

Soon, one of Floyd’s men had spotted the turtles just walking around town in their trench coats. He had seen the green skin and no human masks on. He called for backup, and kept on following them in his own disguise. They weren’t getting away this time!

The big mob of ninjas soon joined the one that had called for backup, and the gang was ready. 

The turtles always went down alleys sooner or later, and that was where they were set upon again. This time, all four were taken after being knocked out. They were driven to a warehouse, where Leo, Raph, and Don were going to undergo exams. Their trench coats were taken off of them.  

When Floyd came in to see them once they had awoken from the gas, Don wasn’t surprised to see that he was behind it. 

“Hello, Turtles,” Floyd greeted. 

All four turtles were in cages, and they all glared at him. It was Donatello who spoke first. 

“What do you want now, Floyd? I’m not pregnant anymore!” Don said sternly to the man. 

“I know that, Donatello. I aim to examine you guys, nothing more,” Floyd said. “And, just how are the twins that I gave you?” 

“That’s none of your business!” Don snapped. 

“What do you want?” Leo asked. 

“I think that you know what I want. But I promise, it’s just for exams, nothing harmful. We wouldn’t want to stress your babies out too much,” Floyd said. 

“Why would you do this to us?” Raph demanded. “This is not normal for us at all.” 

“Like I told Donatello, it’s to give you guys a future, as you are the only ones of your kind, and to give some genetic diversity among your offspring for later in life. At least I’m sure there will be females among your kids,” Floyd explained hopefully. 

They all understood what he was talking about, but that was still a long way off. 

“If you think we are going to let you manipulate our kids, you are mistaken!” Leo declared angrily. “Now let us go!” 

“I will, when your examinations are complete,” Floyd said. “I promise it’s not to hurt you. I just need to know what your progress is.” 

“You forced this on us. Why should we cooperate?” Leo demanded. 

“Because there was no other way to create more of your kind,” Floyd answered.   
   
“Yes, there was, but we’re not telling how,” Don replied. 

“However it goes, this way is better,” Floyd said. “And, with live births, you don’t have to worry about incubating eggs that might not make it.” 

“True, but it means a much longer pregnancy,” Don said. “And, you’ve gotten all three of us pregnant with more than one baby.” 

“Thank you, Donatello. That’s what I wanted to hear.” 

“Way to go, Donatello,” Raph said sarcastically. “Tell him everything why don’t ya.”  
   
“I’m sorry, but you are,” Don replied softly. 

“I think I’ll start with Leonardo this time,” Floyd declared. “The blue-masked one. Bring him, men.” 

Two big men came forward and opened the cage. 

“Leave me alone!” Leo tried to escape, but it was no use. He was grabbed and pulled into a back room, where he was tied down. Leo would usually be able to break free from inexperienced humans, but these men were skilled enough to know how to keep him restrained before tying him down. 

“Let the exam begin,” Floyd said. He was excited for this. 

A machine was wheeled over, and a man moved Leo’s belt further up on his belly to apply gel to his lower plastron. 

“Why do you want to do this to us?” Leo asked curiously. 

“I was so fascinated by you turtles and I learned from your friend, April, that you were the only ones of your kind. After learning that you were all originally red eared slider turtles, it was easy to get unfertilized eggs from some female turtles. Using the mutagen in your system and other special chemicals, I created artificial wombs for you to carry babies to make more of your kind, without having to mutate animals or humans into mutants. I know it all sounds scary, but this is for your own good; for a family, other than just the four of you turtles. I mean, surely, you are all wanting some new blood in the family, right?” Floyd explained and asked the leader. 

“Well, yes, but we didn’t picture it happening this way,” Leo said. 

“I’m sorry, but without female turtles, it had to be this way,” Floyd insisted. “Knowing that, would you guys have volunteered if I had just asked you to do it?” 

“Probably not,” Leo answered. 

“I’m sorry that I had to force you, but you all seemed willing enough to help Donatello while he was pregnant, so once I knew it had worked, I had to give you all some babies too. Now, I must see how many you are carrying, Leonardo,” Floyd said. He started up the machine. 

Leo was still unsure of letting this man see his unborn babies. He began to squirm.  
   
“Hold still, Leonardo, this won’t hurt a bit,” Floyd said. 

“Seeing my babies is my business only! You have no right to force this on me!” Leo said sternly.  
   
“Since I got you pregnant in the first place, yes, it is my right. I just want to see how they are doing in their progress. Just hold still and it’ll be over quickly enough,” Floyd demanded. 

Leo continued to squirm, and he ended up being injected with a muscle relaxer that made him stop squirming. He could only watch and feel the wand be put to his lower plastron now. 

Floyd moved the wand about on the right side first, moving the wand until he found the womb and the first embryo. At the moment, it was nothing more than a dot in a black hole kind of look. Then he moved it around more, looking for at least two more. He found a second one. And then, there was the third one. 

As much as Leonardo had wanted to continue his pregnancy, he was still scared of how this was going to turn out, especially since he was having three babies. 

“Congratulations, Leonardo. All three have made it this far. I suppose you didn’t know?”  
   
“Yes, I knew,” Leo said. 

“Well, I can’t wait to see them when they get bigger.” 

“You won’t have that chance! I’ll make sure of it.” 

“And with Donatello here, I will want him to have more too,” Floyd said. 

“He doesn’t want any more!” Leo hollered. 

“There are so few individuals in this world that have smarts like his. He’s worth breeding twice. Well, you’re done for now. Clean him up and take him back to his cage, then bring me the red one,” Floyd ordered. 

“Yes, Sir,” one man said. 

A towel was used to clean the gel off Leo’s plastron, and he was unshackled and taken back out to where his brothers were waiting. He was put back in his cage. Then, they went to Raphael’s cage. 

“Now, it’s your turn, Red.” 

“Like heck it is!” Raph snapped back at his captor. He prepared himself. 

Before he could jump over their heads, a needle was jammed into Raphael’s bicep. 

“OW!” He cried out, grabbed the needle, and pulled it out. He fell to his knees shortly after. 

“What did you drug him with?!” Mike shouted. 

“Something that will just keep him calm. It won’t harm him or the babies that he carries,” one of the men explained. 

Raph was taken to the exam room and the same thing done to him as was done to Leo. Floyd saw that he still had the twins that he had implanted into his belly. 

Back out in the cages, Mike was talking to Don. 

“We have to get out of here, Donatello,” Mike said sadly. “What does he want with us?”  
   
“He wants to examine them for their babies, Michelangelo. In time, he might maybe even want keep them for his own,” Don guessed. 

Raphael was then brought out just as the drug was beginning to wear off. His belt was messed up just as Leo’s had been. 

“Raphael has twins coming just as you did, Donatello. Speaking of which, it’s now your turn,” Floyd said. 

Donatello had given him a mad glare. “Oh no you won’t!” 

The purple wearing turtle tried to fight back, but he too, fell prey to the injection that was forced into his neck. He was taken to the exam room. 

Leo and Raph were only mildly sedated, and were coming out of the drugs. They already knew how many they were having, but they had to get out of here before Floyd could do the same to Michelangelo. 

Donatello was tied down onto the table and his stomach gelled up after his belt was moved upward. 

“Let me go,” Don demanded weakly. 

“I will, as soon as I have the results of your exam, Donatello.” 

Floyd knew Don had no babies inside him at the moment, but he wanted to see if the artificial womb was still there. He could always create another one if needed. He knew the formula for it.  
   
The womb was gone. 

“I thought the womb would be gone,” Floyd said aloud.

“It was attached to an artery. It had to be removed carefully at the risk of me bleeding to death,” Don stated groggily. “Or, it could have started gathering toxins and making me sick! It wasn’t natural for me to have it!” 

“It could be the same with your brothers. But there are other good places to attach it.” Floyd grinned. “I think you should be bred again, Donatello.” 

“No,” Donatello begged. “I don’t want to.” 

“Maybe not now, but someday. I know you guys will be overwhelmed with babies should your two brothers’ babies all make it to full term. Of them all, you are worth breeding the most,” Floyd said. 

“Why me?” Don questioned. 

“Because of your intelligence. There aren’t many beings like you in this world.” 

Don would have considered that a compliment if he hadn’t been forced into this exam. 

Floyd then proceeded to examine Don’s plastron, looking for any signs of a surgery. He saw signs on his plastron. 

“Your twins were obviously delivered through your plastron,” Floyd mused. “I see the scars on your pretty golden shell scutes. Well, you look nice and healthy, as do your brothers, and their babies.” 

“Are you going to be doing the same thing to Michelangelo?” Don had to know. 

“Someday. But I figure he could use some time to get used to being responsible for his brothers’ kids before he becomes a father too. I don’t want to overwhelm you guys too much. Some kids can be saved for another time, another year.” 

“I think two is enough for me. I don’t want any more,” Don declared. “I don’t want to go through the ordeal of being pregnant again.” 

“Just what were the genders of the two you had?” Floyd asked. 

“I’m not telling you anything!” Don snapped at him. 

“Was it a boy and girl, or two girls? Or two boys?” 

“None of your business!” 

“I’m sure I’ll find out one day.” 

“Or never!” Don was getting real sick of this guy not minding his own business. He didn’t even want to be here. “Let me go!” He squirmed in the shackles. 

Back in the other room, Mike was scared that he would be next, and he was the only one that hadn’t been targeted yet for impregnation. From observing Don’s pregnancy, he knew that in a few months Leo and Raph were sure to have huge appetites. His family was always picking on him about how big his appetite was. Who knew out of control his appetite would get should he be made pregnant? 

Donatello was finally released from the shackles, and taken back to the other room. There, his brothers saw that he was fine, but he was really mad now. 

“Let us go!” Don snapped at them. 

“We’ll let you go when the boss says you can go,” the man on his left said. Then he and the other one pushed Donny into his cell again and locked it. 

When they were gone, Don calmed down and sat on the floor. 

“Did they do anything to hurt you, Donatello?” Leo asked. 

“No. Just an ultrasound to see if I still had that artificial uterus. Floyd wants to impregnate me again, but he didn’t do it today because he knows we’ll have our hands full with all the babies you two are expecting,” Don told Leo and Raph. 

“Does he plan to examine me too?” Mike asked. 

“Probably not this time, Michelangelo,” Don replied. 

“I’m going stir crazy in here. I want to get out!” Raph complained. 

“We all want to go home, Raphael,” Leo agreed. “I just hope he lets us go soon. Or, we’ll have to find a way to bust out.” 

Floyd came into the room. “That won’t be necessary, Leonardo. I have what I needed from you all. I’m sorry if this stressed you out, but I needed to know that the pregnancies were off to a good start. Now that I see that they are, you guys will be free to go home shortly.” 

“What about me?” Mike asked. 

“You won’t be examined, Michelangelo, as I’m not ready to give you kids. But perhaps, another time,” Floyd said. 

“I don’t think so, dude,” Mike exclaimed. 

“Well, if you guys can behave, I’ll have my men escort you to where you were captured, and you can go about your businesses again.” 

“So, you aren’t planning to keep us locked up in your laboratory and treated like experiments?” Leo asked. 

“No, Leonardo. I want you to be free and happy, so you’ll have nice, healthy babies. I can always be of use when it comes time to deliver them.” 

“Forget it! We already have our doctor!” Raph said. 

“Of course you do,” Floyd replied. He was sure that they meant Donatello. He didn’t know about Jane being their doctor too. 

Floyd then ordered his men to release the turtles and escorted them to a big car, where they were also given their trench coats and weapons back. Floyd made it clear that he didn’t want to harm them.

The turtles were all taken back to the alley where they were released and left to their own devices. They got their coats and weapons back on and were glad to just get away from these kidnappers.

“We really need to stay on our guard now more than ever,” Leo remarked. “He now knows we’re pregnant.” 

“But what are we going to do, Leonardo?” Mike asked. 

“Right now, I don’t feel so good.” Raph held his stomach and ended up throwing up in the alley.  
   
“I don’t blame you for getting sick, Raphael. Stress can do that to your stomach,” Don said, remembering his own incident in another alley. 

“Let’s just get home before Sensei worries again,” Leo decided. 

After Raph got finished being sick, they got to the sewers and went home from there. 

When they got home, they found Splinter meditating in his room. “Master Splinter?” Leo greeted. 

Splinter heard him and opened his eyes. “What is it, Leonardo?” 

“How long have we been gone?” 

“Four hours,” Splinter answered. “Why?” 

“That Floyd guy grabbed us again, but this time, he managed to catch all four of us,” Leo stated sadly. 

“Did he hurt you?” Splinter asked. His concern was growing.

“No, he didn’t, but he wanted exams on three of us,” Don explained. “He wanted to get me pregnant again, but he didn’t.” 

“He knows Raphael and I are expecting from the ultrasounds he gave us,” Leo said. 

“I’m just glad he didn’t try to get me pregnant too,” Mike added. 

“Floyd knew that we are going to be overwhelmed with babies in a matter of months. That’s why he didn’t do it to you or me,” Don told Mike. 

“We can’t let him take us like that again,” Leo said. 

“What are we going to do?” Mike asked. 

“If we have to stay in the lair all the time, I would go nuts,” Raph complained. “We have to get out sometimes.” 

“True, my turtles, but try to spend more time down here in the sewers when you must leave the lair. April can bring us our supplies for now,” Splinter advised. 

“We might have to. Or we can go back up to the farmhouse real early,” Leo said. 

Donatello considered that. “We are better off saving that for the later stages, to make sure that Floyd and his cronies don’t get their hands on the babies.”

So, it was decided that they wouldn’t go topside for a while, at least until their next appointments at the zoo clinic. Donatello began making some new cradles for his soon to be nieces and nephews. April was told of what happened, and agreed to bring the turtles the supplies they needed. They still had yet to tell their friends, Zach and Walt, and others.


	25. Chapter 25

Donatello continued acting as the family doctor, but Jane always double-checked on Leo and Raph’s conditions. They had made it to the 12th week now and the morning sickness was starting to peter out. They both still got sick occasionally, but it was becoming less and less frequent. 

By now, Mona Lisa was fully ready for Raphael to move into her lair. Raph was beginning to get closer to her, and he was feeling kind of trapped by his family. Raphael had a long talk with Splinter to ask permission to move in with Mona. 

Splinter was fine with letting any of his sons find their true happiness and would always let them move back into the lair should they want to. 

Don had two cradles made, and Raphael took them with him when he moved into Mona’s lair. Mona was thrilled to have her boyfriend living with her. He was starting to barely show a little baby bump. She had grown to love the idea of having the new twins, but she was worried about how Raph was going to handle the remainder of the pregnancy. 

Leonardo was also definitely showing a little baby bump, considering he was carrying triplets. He was worried about being on bed rest at any time during his pregnancy. 

While they were still thin enough, Leo and Raph were still practicing self-defense and mainly just walking for exercise. They met up almost every day to take an afternoon stroll together, given that they were both in the same boat. 

If they started arguing, then they walked alone, or Leo might walk with Don, and Raph would walk with Mona. Mike even tagged along at times too. 

They had all remained down in the sewers for so many weeks now, and just wanted to get some fresh air. One night, April invited them all over for dinner at her apartment. Raphael brought Mona along. To everyone’s surprise, Zack was there too. His brother, Walt, had stayed at home, doing homework.

Zack still hadn’t found out about Leo and Raph’s pregnancies. He knew that his turtle friends were busy with Gaia and Sebastian a lot more now. But he still wanted to be part of their lives. 

The guys were hesitant to reveal about two more pregnancies, but it had to be done. 

“Zack, we have something to tell you,” Leo began. 

“About what, Leonardo?” The boy asked. 

“It’s about Raphael and I. We came into contact with the same man who had gotten Donatello pregnant before. We haven’t told you yet, but we are both expecting some babies of our own now,” Leo explained.

Zack was once again, surprised. “So, that means that Sebastian and Gaia will have some cousins?” 

“Yeah,” Raph answered.

“Cool,” Zack replied. He was usually a laid-back kid, but had a big sense of excitement too. “I’ll be glad to help in any way I can.” 

“Thanks, Zack. We need all the support we can get. We’ve been trying to stay below ground to avoid being seen by Floyd’s men,” Leo explained. 

“But nothing’s going on with Donatello, or Michelangelo?” Zack asked. 

“No. We’re fine. We’ve been supporting them, and defending them,” Mike replied.

They all had a good dinner and watched a ninja movie together. Then Zack and the mutant family left April’s to go home. 

When Zack went home, he told Walt what he had learned, that there were more turtle babies on the way. 

“The way they’re having babies all of a sudden, what do they need us for?” Walt remarked, a little upset that he felt he and his brother were being replaced as the so-called fifth and sixth turtles. 

Zack thought about that. “They need us to be there for them. They don’t have that many human friends.”

Walt knew his little bro had a point. He would go on being their friend anyway.   
……………..

Over the next few weeks, Raph and Leo had to learn to take it even easier, as their babies and stomachs got bigger. They stayed down in the lairs most of the time. 

Mona helped Raphael do breathing exercises and went walking with him. Raph had issues with his back starting to hurt and his legs swelling, but the good thing was that he wasn’t sick anymore. 

Leonardo stuck to relaxing a lot more. The triplets were putting so much weight on his front that he had to do his meditating on his bed, or on the couch or chair. He couldn’t sit down on the floor and get up again so easily. When he ate, he was eating for four. The triplets were always leaving him hungry, so he had a huge appetite that even rivaled Mike’s. 

Raph had been glad to move in with Mona. He often was in arguments with Don and Mike and sometimes even with Leo. He just wanted more female company at the moment. He felt too crowded in the lair with his brothers. He wanted his own space to be with his girlfriend. 

Raphael put on a disguise and snuck out one night to buy an engagement ring. He felt that he knew Mona well enough to propose to her. When he did, Mona gladly accepted.   
…………….

Jane conducted exams and thought that all five babies were doing well. Their parents were taking really good care of them. The babies all looked more like real mutant turtles now, but they were still not big enough to live outside of their parent’s bodies. Jane pulled fluid from the amniotic sacs to make sure that there was nothing wrong with the babies. It was a painful process but had to be done.

Since the babies had all been given on the same day to his brothers, Don started calling them, the ‘Quints,’ but he assumed that they would have different birthdays.   
…………..

Leonardo started feeling his babies move around the 16th week. It was incredible. He had never felt such an amazing feeling before. He was glad that he hadn’t given up on his triplets. 

Raphael started feeling his twins move around the 17th week. Again, it was incredible. Mona was glad to hear him say that. She tried to feel them and didn’t feel anything. 

“It might take a while longer because of my plastron,” Raph said.

“Yeah. If it was me, you’d be able to feel mine in my belly,” Mona stated. 

“True,” Raph agreed. 

They spent the rest of the night together on the couch, chatting about what they were going to name their little ones.


	26. Chapter 26

It was so hard to give up training in the dojo while he was pregnant, but Leo was willing to do it, if it gave his babies a better shot at survival. 

 

Having Raphael out of the lair was a little bit of a relief. There was a lot less rude humor in the lair, but everyone missed him at times. 

 

Leo, Raph, and Mona were all still getting their fair share of experience caring for babies while babysitting Don’s twins. They were truly grateful for all the practice, since they would be dealing with their own in a few months’ time. 

It was cold outside, so their metabolisms started to slow down, and they tried to stay as warm as possible. The older turtles were used to the cold, but Gaia and Sebastian weren’t. They were wearing the warmer clothes that had been bought or given to them to try to keep them warm down in the lair. They really needed to head to the farmhouse soon. It would be much warmer than the sewers, especially for the children. 

After they celebrated Christmas and New Year’s, they packed up and moved to the farmhouse again. Leo and Raph were 5 months along.

Donatello had given up his room at the farm to Raphael and Mona and he now slept in his lab. Leo and Mike shared their room for the moment. Splinter had let April take his room, and he stayed in the living room. They had all had to adjust their sleeping arrangements. 

Gaia and Sebastian slept in Don’s lab with him. The new cradles Don had made for the expected babies were currently in each of the new parent-to-be’s rooms. Leo had three, while Raph had two. 

Leo felt that Raph was lucky to have Mona to help him out with his babies. Raph was having two babies after all. But for Leo himself, he wondered how he was going to manage triplets all on his own. He was lucky that he had family around to help him out. But if he was living on his own, it would be too hard for him. He didn’t want to think about it. 

Leonardo often wondered why Floyd would have chosen him to have triplets instead of twins. He was sure Floyd knew that he was the leader. Just because he was the leader didn’t mean that he liked to carry so much responsibility all the time. But now that the babies were on their way, Leo didn’t have much choice. He would have help, but he was the parent to all three of the little miracles that he carried inside of him. He was taking it very seriously. 

Don knew that he would have a whole bunch of students to teach about science when they got old enough, along with reading, writing, and math. He also planned to teach them about other languages, since they often came in handy in the human world.

Mike loved to please others, and he knew that he would be cooking for a very large family within a couple of years. He would have to make super large pizzas, or make multiple pizzas. Who knew what foods would interest the kids most. 

Splinter was glad that he would have many grandkids to pass on traditions to, and that his sons would have a bigger family. Of course, he didn’t want them to get too overwhelmed either. 

As for Gaia and Sebastian, they were both 8 months old now. Donatello knew that he needed to start thinking about different food options for them other than just the formula they’d been on since they were born. It was time to start thinking of getting them started on baby food too. It was so hard to believe that they were as old as they were now, and that they were going to be older cousins soon. They would be the role models for the younger ones. 

April went and got some different baby foods for them to try, like cereals, meats, fruits, and veggies.

April and the others would help feed the twins as well. It was better to broaden their sense of taste. Mike wanted to give them pizza as a first taste, but Don was strictly wanting them to eat other things besides just pizza. And of course, the twins had shared some of those same foods when he had been pregnant with them via their umbilical cords. 

Their first new food was bananas. It was new to them, and they took a moment to make sense of it before deciding that it was good. Don was glad when they didn’t spit it out. 

“I think they like it.” Don smiled. He fed them more and soon, the food in the jar was gone. It would continue that way until the kids could eat more solid foods. 

Don’s twins were starting to scoot and crawl as well. When they weren’t being supervised, they were in a playpen to keep them out of trouble. And now that they were starting to get more mobile, the family knew that the house was going to need to be baby-proofed. 

Don’s twins were now sharing a crib. 

Leo and Raph knew that they needed to think of names for their little ones. They gladly accepted help from the others to try to find good names.   
……………

The winter was long and cold once again, but it was nice to be in a house. They had spent the last two months at the farmhouse. 

Don kept a watchful eye on everyone. Jane also checked up on Leo, Raph, and the babies once a month. But now that Leo and Raph had reached 31 weeks, she was coming up every two weeks.

 

Jane talked to Don, and they decided that it would be beneficial for Leo to really take it easy. Carrying triplets was hard on his body, and they wanted to get the babies to at least 37 weeks. 

Leonardo reluctantly gave in to the demand to cease any strenuous activity and take it easy. He wasn’t officially on bed rest, but it was close. He didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. He remembered how Donatello had suffered from organ strain and a burst gallbladder.

Raphael was told to take it easy as well. Everyone else would be there for him and Leo while they rested. Mona promised to keep Raph in bed.

Gaia and Sebastian were sleeping more at night, only occasionally waking up. Don gave them some teething rings to chew on when it came to their teething.  

While they were preparing for the babies to come in the next few months, the Neutrinos called to ask how things were going. 

Don answered the call. “We’re all fine, and we have big news. We’re starting to have kids of our own! I’ve got twins - one boy and one girl. The boy is Sebastian, and the girl is Gaia.” 

“That’s great, Donatello,” Kala said. “How’s Michelangelo?” 

“A pizza-holic as usual. But he is being a good uncle too,” Don replied. 

“Is he going to be a father?” Dask asked. 

Don shook his head. “No. Only Leonardo and Raphael are expecting at the moment.” 

“We would love to meet the babies,” Zak said. 

“When you’re able to, you’re more than welcome,” Don agreed. “Are things okay over there with the Shredder and Krang?" 

"They still cause trouble, but nothing we can't handle, you cool dadeo," Dask replied. "We stay on top of it." 

Don smiled. "That's good. I don't think we would be able to help out much if you had real trouble over there. We're going to have so many babies to look after soon."

"Good luck with them all," Kala said. 

It was good that the Neutrinos were supportive, even though they were in another dimension. Donatello hoped that they really could come and visit again someday.


	27. Chapter 27

It was nerve wracking and annoying with all the complaints coming from the two pregnant turtles. In their final weeks, they felt like they needed a lot of things. Even Don was very annoyed, but at least he knew what the others had gone through when he had been expecting. 

At week 34, Jane came back to the house to stay until the babies were born. There was no way Donatello could handle the births all by himself. Jane would have to coach Don in some areas of handling the newborns right after birth. Jane slept in the same room as April. 

Raph and Leo were still practicing breathing techniques. The babies were putting so much strain and pressure on their internal organs. Mona helped to coach both of them, but Raph especially. To him, it seemed rather stupid, since neither of them could give birth like a female could. But it was necessary to have new ways to breathe since their bodies weren’t really built to handle the stress of carrying such big babies.   
…………….

Raphael felt that he was ready first, at 36 weeks along. He just felt like he couldn’t go any further.  

Jane and Don did the surgery, while April helped to clean them up. Once again, the surgery was through the plastron. Jane saw that this womb was also attached to an artery, and ran the risk of serious bleeding. She and Don were careful to remove it by tying off the artery first before getting it out.  

Raph came out of the surgery just fine. He and Mona were glad to be holding their two newborn boys. The firstborn was named Benvolio. It meant ’goodwill,’ or ’benevolent.’  The second born was named Marcello. It meant ‘a warrior of young age.’ 

Benvolio and Marcello had been born on March 12th. Mona and Raph couldn’t have been prouder.   
……………

Gaia and Sebastian were a little suspicious at seeing the two new babies in the family. Now the new babies were getting a lot more attention. And these little boys were a lot younger than they were.   
…………….

It was a week later that Jane decided to go ahead and give Leo his c-section. She saw that Leo was really miserable being pregnant with triplets. At 37 weeks, they were developed enough to be born. 

Again, Jane and Don did the surgery with April helping. This time, there were three girls! They had been born on March 19th.

When Leonardo came to, and found out, he knew he would have to be even more protective with triplet daughters. He named his first one, Leona, after himself. It meant ’lioness.’ The second one was named Eleanor. It meant ’shining bright light coming from above.’ Leo named the third one Stellina, which meant ‘a little shining star.’

Leo had chosen long names for two of his daughters. The family planned on calling Stellina, Stella or Lina for short; and Eleanor, Ellie for short.

The family was whole now, and much bigger. All the adults had their hands full with trying to keep so many babies happy. They had to learn to multitask. They all hoped there wouldn’t be any new babies created anytime too soon. Seven was a lot to take care of. It left them all exhausted, but they were doing it out of love.   
…………..

Within a couple of months, the weather warmed up again, and the mutants and April went back to the city. Jane had gone back a few days after the birth, as she had to get back to work. 

The turtles could hardly even leave the lair now; They were so busy taking care of seven babies. Raph and Mona had gone back to Mona’s lair where they looked after Marcello and Benvolio. Marc would be Marcello’s short name, and Ben would be Benvolio’s. 

As hard as it was to take care of them and make sure that they had everything they needed, the more Mona looked at the babies, the more she wanted some of her own from Raphael. But they would wait a few years, until their sons were old enough to understand and could maybe help out a little more. 

A short time after getting back to the sewers, Raph and Mona got married. Splinter performed the ceremony himself. The others were happy for them. Irma and Howie even came back for their wedding. They got to meet the five new babies as well. 

Mike watched his brothers with all their babies and was happy for them. He wanted to be a father too, but not just yet. These seven currently needed taking care of more than anything. Their family was just the right size to be able to take care of what they had at the moment. Any more would have been too many right now. He was going to be keeping a lookout for that Floyd guy.   
…………….

Floyd hadn’t wanted to give them anymore babies for a few years, as he knew it was going to be busy for the mutant family. They couldn’t even leave the lair anymore, with the babies being so needy. 

As much as the turtles hadn’t wanted pregnancies forced on them, they had seen this as the best chance at having a future generation. They would make future ninja turtles out of these little ones, eventually. 


	28. Chapter 28

Four years later, the kids weren’t so dependent on their parents. They still had their needs of course, but they could do some things for themselves. 

Gaia and Sebastian were now five years old. Stellina, Leona, Eleanor, Marcello, and Benvolio were all four years old. All the kids got along fairly well. 

Master Splinter had stepped down and given the sensei position to Leonardo. Splinter was happy to simply offer advice and to be a grandfather who spoiled his grandchildren.

The kids were all fascinated with the martial arts that their parents did, and longed to start training themselves. 

They were old enough to understand that even though there were a few humans in their lives, it didn’t mean that they could just go above ground and interact with anyone they wanted to. Not all humans were so understanding of what they were.  

Donatello was getting ready to start teaching them what he knew about reading, math, and languages. He had even considered some simple science experiments, which Mona had offered to assist with. 

Leonardo was enjoying his work as the new sensei. He had waited years for this. But it would still be many years before any of the kids would be ready to face the real world above. Leo also knew how to be a good disciplinarian when the kids needed it. He made sure that the kids understood the consequences of their actions. 

Michelangelo was a fine uncle and would make great food for the kids, especially pizza. He also let them play with his toys and got them their own toys to play with. He read to them and tried to help them learn some reading too. 

Raphael liked to get the kids to laugh at his jokes, but he tried not to use rude humor around them. He watched his language. His own sons loved his jokes just as much as Mona did. She was currently pregnant with their next offspring. 

Donatello had done an ultrasound to see how many kids Mona was having, and there was just one this time. It looked to be part lizard and part turtle. Mona was about 7 months along and feeling the weight of the child. Mona was hungry, tired, moody, miserable, and was ready to have the baby. She hoped it was a girl. She already had a name picked out. 

Donatello was still the primary doctor for the mutant family, and he was taking care of everyone’s health. 

April was still a freelance reporter and an aunt to her friends’ kids. She was the most active human in the kids’ lives. The girls were the most drawn to her, but the boys were too. 

Howie and Irma still came back about twice a year to visit. Howie was getting good music contracts, and he was making a good living. Irma was a secretary for another news business in Chicago, but they treated her a lot better than Channel 6 had before. 

Zack and Walt were young men now and off at college. Zack was studying reptiles. He loved them and wanted to become a herpatologist. Walt wanted to play baseball.  

The Neutrinos still called from time to time as well. 

April’s Aunt Aggie checked in with her and the turtles on occasion. She was proud of them for being such good parents to so many children. 

The lair had been expanded into new sewer tunnels to make room for all the kids. The girls were all in one room, and the boys were all in another. These rooms were a good size, so they all had their own spaces. 

Raph and Mona had decided to move back closer to the lair so that there were more babysitters, and the kids could have their almost daily interactions.   
……………

Floyd hadn’t been heard from in many years, but now, he was back and ready to give it a try again on Donatello. He wanted to give Michelangelo some offspring as well.   
……………

The turtles had been glad that they hadn’t heard from Floyd Row in a long time. He had given them many kids, and they had learned to be grateful for it. They just wished he hadn’t been so forceful. They weren’t normal animals who accepted things as they were. 

There were times now when the turtles could leave the lair, at least two at a time, as long as there were two or three babysitters at the lair. The kids were capable of entertaining themselves quite well, but were still too young to be left alone. 

One day, Don and Mike were out heading for the store, when all of a sudden, the same henchmen from so many years ago surrounded them. They both got their weapons out, ready to defend themselves. 

“You! What do you want?” Don demanded. 

“It’s been a long time, Turtle. The boss just wants to check in with you to see how things are going,” the leader up front said. 

“Never better,” Mike replied. 

“Really?” one of the men responded. 

“He’s not getting his hands on us again!” Don snapped at him. 

“Oh, really? Get them!” the leader commanded. 

The ninjas charged and the two turtles fought them off as best they could. But in the end, Don and Mike were drugged and taken to Floyd once again. 

When there, Floyd did exams on both of them, especially Donatello. He was fine.

Floyd had his scientists collect sperm from the turtles. He prepared the chemicals that would cause the turtles’ bodies to create artificial wombs and injected the mixture into both Don and Mike. 

At home, the family was worried when they didn’t come home, and the kids were beginning to miss them. Gaia and Sebastian wanted their father home to put them to bed; it was a nightly ritual.  

Leo, Raph, Splinter, and Mona all hoped that Don and Mike hadn’t been captured again, but had a strong feeling about it.   
…………..

Forty-eight hours later, the last embryo was implanted into Mike’s belly. He only had one. Don had been implanted with two again. Floyd thought that Don’s genes really should be passed on further. 

Floyd ordered his men to take the turtles back to where they were captured. 

When they awoke, Don and Mike saw they were in that alley where they had been ambushed on the way to the store. They had their disguises on again - blue coats and blue pants. 

Donatello didn’t like this. He was glad they weren’t in some lab, but after remembering whose men had been attacking them, he knew right that moment what must have been done. He would have to check himself and Mike over when they got home. It would still be too early to tell what had happened for sure, but if they went and acted quickly, they could prevent more forced pregnancies. 

They went back home, mission to the store forgotten after what had happened, and they were welcomed back with a lot of questions. The kids ran into their arms. They had been so worried about them. 

“Was it Floyd again, Donatello?” Leonardo asked. 

“Yes, his men anyway,” Don replied. 

“Do you think he… you know?” Leo trailed off. 

“I’m sure he did,” Don fretted. “He told me that he wanted to see me have more kids awhile back.”

“He really is a lunatic for doing this the way he does,” Raph said. 

“I know,” Don replied. “We can’t let him do this to us anymore.”

“And what if he did it to me this time?” Mike worried. 

“It’s still too early to know for sure, Michelangelo,” Don answered. “But if we are to prevent it from happening, we need to act quickly.”

“We missed you, Daddy,” Gaia said. 

Don rubbed her head. “I missed you too, Gaia.”

“Where were you, Dad?” Sebastian asked. 

“Somebody had me captured, along with Uncle Michelangelo,” Don told his son. “We don’t know for sure what they did to us just yet.”

In his heart, Don knew what had been done. He didn’t know if he could go through this a second time. But, Mike hadn’t gone through it at all yet. 

Donatello wanted to offer Michelangelo the option to terminate an unwanted pregnancy. So, they went to go get the morning after pill from Jane. Halfway there, Mike made him stop the van. 

“Wait, Donatello, I don’t think that I can go through with this. I think I might be ready to become a father now. I see all of you being parents and I want to have that too,” Mike said. “I’ve been happy to be an uncle, but now that I’ve gotten more experience under my belt, I think that I’m ready to be a dad.” 

In the end, Don couldn’t do it either. Besides, Mike’s possible kids would need some playmates. They didn’t go to the clinic and just went back home to await the results.  
…………….

A few weeks later, the symptoms of morning sickness began to come on again, for both Don and Mike. Don vividly remembered this feeling and had never wanted to experience it again. Mike always hated to overeat and then get sick, but this was something different. 

Don checked both of their blood samples and yes, indeed, they were both pregnant. They told the others. 

“How are we ever going to keep this moron from doing this to us again?” Raph asked. 

“Unless we want to move, we’d have to take him completely out,” Leo considered. “But, we don’t know where he is. He always hides behind his men and keeps us sedated while we’re there.” 

“He’s never tried to do anything to me,” Mona said. 

“Floyd probably doesn’t even know about you, Mona, and we’d prefer it that way,” Raph said.

“This city hasn’t had any real trouble makers for years now,” Leo observed. “Maybe we should consider moving for our safety, to get away from Floyd Row.”

“What are you going to do about these new babies?” Splinter asked. 

“I’ll keep mine,” Don said. 

“I’ll keep mine too, dude. I feel more ready now to be a dad,” Mike responded. 

The turtles talked to April, and even to Irma and Howie. New York was just getting to be dullsville anyway. Sure, there were still street thugs around, but nothing the police couldn’t handle. 

Talking to Irma had given the turtles the idea of moving to Chicago. April’s life was here in New York. She loved it here, but she knew that the mutant family would need her on the move. She told them she would follow them. She could always get a new place in Chicago. 

But then, why move to Chicago at all? The turtles really needed a quiet and safe place to raise their children, especially since there were going to be more on the way. Another big city might not be the right choice. 

The turtles considered the farmhouse up north possibly becoming their new home. Floyd had never found them there, and being in the country sounded safer. There was no one around for miles. 

The farmhouse was kind of small, though. The way the kids were growing, the family needed more space. 

Then, Leo remembered the nearby abandoned airport. They could fix it up and make it more of a home for themselves. The airport’s buildings had far more space. So, it was decided that the airport would become their new home. 

Splinter and all his turtles began packing up their belongings to move to the airport. They would learn to make it their new home and even include an infirmary. April rented a moving van so that they would have more room than just in the Turtle Van for all their stuff. 

The kids were still young enough that they could sleep in the same rooms as one another for now, but it was a good idea to get started on making separate sleeping quarters. 

Mona couldn’t help too much as her baby was due soon. She and Raphael would have their own room. 

There would be a new dojo or training room. Every adult would get their own room. And eventually, maybe the kids would all get their own rooms too. But for now, it would be what it was. 

Donatello kept the blueprints of what and where each place was going to be to make this old place their new home and to keep it homey for everyone.   
…………..

A couple of months later, after settling into their new home, Mona Lisa finally gave birth to her and Raphael’s child. Don delivered the baby girl. 

They named her Marion. She had a soft shell, and the long tail of a lizard, like her mother. She also had some brown hair on her head, like Mona. She had her mom’s webbed toes, but her father’s hands. 

Benvolio and Marcello knew that they were big brothers now. They had liked getting their parents’ full attention as their babies, but that wouldn’t be the case anymore. Now there was a new family member. 

After the birth of Marion, Donatello sat his kids down and told them the cause for his illness was because, just as Marion had come along, there was going to be a new baby or babies in the lair again in a few months time. 

“You guys will be older siblings too. You see, I… it’s hard to explain… there are more babies on the way for me,” Don told his kids. 

“Do you have to, Daddy?” Gaia asked. 

“We like being your only kids,” Sebastian said. 

“I know you do. But I don’t have much choice now. I don’t know how many there are, but I promise to help get you ready before they come along,” Don said. 

And help them, he did.   
………….

Over the course of both his and Mike’s pregnancies, everyone worked on building rooms to make the airport a real home. Donatello got heaters set up for wintertime, and air conditioners for the hot summer times. 

Mike lost weight while in the first trimester, but sure gained some back once he got into the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. 

Jane had to step up as the doctor once again, as Don couldn’t do everything himself. He was older now, and busy with his kids and setting up their new home. This pregnancy was harder on him than the first one had been. They would just use the old cradles and cribs instead of getting or making new ones for when the babies were born. 

It wasn’t the easiest to explain to the kids that Don and Mike’s stomachs were getting big due to their pregnancies, but it was the truth. It was where the babies were living until they were ready to join their older siblings in the outside world. 

On October 21, Jane delivered Donatello’s babies, another boy and girl. He named them Tasha and Ivano.

Three weeks later, Jane delivered Mike’s only child - a daughter that he named Rosetta. 

There were several weeks of taking it easy after surgery, but soon, the new parents were able to get around again. 

The new lair was ready in time for winter. At least by not moving to Chicago, April and Jane could still be in the turtles’ lives. 

The mutant family still did want to be near New York. It was their home. They were fine with visiting some other places, but they didn’t want to live there.

Floyd never went after the turtles again. It might have been because he couldn’t find them, or maybe he figured that it was time to move on to something else. Whatever the reason, he had made sure that there would be a new line of mutant turtles down the road in the future.

After all this craziness of all the turtles now having experienced pregnancies, at least they had a huge family to call their own. They had had to sacrifice so much in order to have it, like a lot of thug fighting over the years. But for them, with the Shredder and his henchmen off in Dimension X, it was time to take a quieter approach to life and settle down as best they could. 

Even though at times it felt like there were more kids than they could handle, they wouldn’t give it up for the world. All the older kids had begun their ninja arts education and were well on the way to becoming future ninja turtles. And, they had the best parents and teachers along for the ride. 

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this story. I had two beta writers, Techno Dawn and Darkunderworld from fanfiction.net helping me with this story too, to help me rectify any mistakes and make words flow better. 
> 
> Feel free to review.


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